


Unbreakable Bond

by Onthecyberseas



Category: Once Upon a Time (TV)
Genre: Alternate Universe - No Curse, Background Het, Background Relationships, Beauty and the Beast Elements, F/F, F/M, Homophobia, Smut, Temporary Character Death, Violence, Werewolf Mates
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2016-05-07
Updated: 2017-08-28
Packaged: 2018-06-06 09:21:41
Rating: Explicit
Warnings: Graphic Depictions Of Violence
Chapters: 14
Words: 40,560
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/6748126
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Onthecyberseas/pseuds/Onthecyberseas
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>Belle is sent to live at Snow and Charming's castle and Red discovers that she has a strong connection to her. Red Beauty Enchanted Forest AU. No curse.</p>
            </blockquote>





	1. Chapter 1

**Author's Note:**

> Everything in the show prior to the curse being cast is canon in this story, but the events of the novels and graphic novels are not.

Belle POV:

As I wake up, I take in the familiar sight of my dungeon prison. I had lost track of how many days I had spent staring at the blank stone wall of the Queen's castle, longing for my freedom. Luckily, I was able to occupy my days with reading the books that the Queen's huntsman brought to me in secret. Books had always been my refuge, my escape from the mundane days of my life. I longed for the adventure and heroics, to go out into the world and make my own destiny.

I had a taste of it during my time in the Dark One's castle. I went with him to protect my kingdom from an ogre attack. During my time of servitude, I began to see his heart. I tried to use the power of true love to free him from his curse, but he became angry and threw me in a dungeon to stop me. He threw me out of his castle and I left, hoping that one day we would reunite and I would be able to drive the darkness from him. It was on my way back that I was captured by The Evil Queen, locked in this dungeon to be used as leverage against the Dark One while the Queen prepared to cast her curse, the one that would change life as we knew it.

I didn't know much about this curse, but from the little I overheard, the curse would take us to another world and strip us of our memories. When I thought about the curse I shuddered, haunted by visions of being locked up in a bare room similar to this one, only with no memories and nobody to talk to. It sounded terrible and yet I knew the curse was inevitable.

The opening of the door interrupts my train of thought. It is merely the huntsman, who brings in my breakfast. However, something is different about him. He looks the same but he is smiling, a small smile, but still a smile nonetheless. In all my time here, I had never seen him smile.

"Good morning," I greet him, taking the loaf of bread, "Is there good news?"

The huntsman placed his hand over the spot where his heart would be and replied, "The Queen has given me back my heart and has set me free."

I am beyond thrilled for him, but my shock is greater. That didn't sound like the Queen I knew. She was on the verge of casting her curse, why would she change her mind so suddenly? I couldn't come up with a reason, though I knew there had to be one. "That's excellent news," I say sincerely.

Before he has a chance to respond, a curt voice says, "Huntsman, you are needed downstairs." The Evil Queen steps into the room, stunningly beautiful yet terrifying. The Huntsman runs out on instinct and I am left alone with my captor.

We size each other up for a moment before she speaks, "As you have already heard, I will be releasing you and the huntsman."

I gape at her in disbelief, "Why now? What's your angle? What about your curse?"

She shuts me up with a glare. "Let's just say I've had a change of heart. I have made a deal with Snow White, I have agreed to permanent exile and to live out my remaining years with my father." She pauses, "I'm sorry Belle for what I did to you. I know that an apology isn't enough, but it's all that I can give you."

I stare at her, waiting for her to change back to the Evil Queen, to reveal that this is all a trick, but it never comes. There's no way that I can forgive her so quickly, yet she seems to understand. I look forward to feeling the fresh wind on my face and hearing the sounds of the woods, and most of all, a sight besides these four bare walls. "When can I leave?"

"I'm sending you to live with Snow and her husband this afternoon."

"And what if I don't want to go there?" I interrupt her before she can finish. I was planning to continue my quest to find Rumplestiltskin, not sent to another castle to live out my sentence.

She glares at me, and for a moment I'm afraid that I have made her angry again. Instead she explains, "I'm sending you there to protect you."

"From what?"

"The curse," the Queen answers.

"I don't understand," I say, "You said that you weren't going to cast the curse."

"I'm not, but the Dark One will be very upset that I'm not casting his curse like he wants."

I know I look stupid with my mouth hanging open, but I don't understand what she is saying. She had to be lying. Rumplestiltskin wasn't perfect. He had a temper and didn't always do the right thing, but he wouldn't want to ruin so many lives with such a terrible curse. "Do you know the cost of the curse?" The Queen interrupts my thoughts. I shake my head. "The heart of the thing you love most."

"You're lying," I retorted immediately.

"Sweetie, he's called the Dark One for a reason," Regina said sweetly. I was too angry to take her tone as anything but condescending. "He's a desperate man and his love of power will always be greater than his love for you."

I shake my head. She's wrong. She can't be right. "You're wrong," I declare, "And I'm not going."

"You're going," replied Regina, "Or you will stay my prisoner."

I slump down on the bed. I want to go look for Rumple, but I suppose anything is better than being a prisoner of the Queen. "Fine, I'll go."

That's how I find myself standing at the entrance of the castle several hours later. The castle seems warm and inviting, much like the one I grew up in. Queen Snow is standing next to me, trying to talk to me, but I tune her out. All I can think about is what The Evil Queen told me this morning. She was probably lying, but I couldn't shake the small doubt in the back of my mind that she was telling the truth. The only way to know for sure was to find Rumple and confirm the truth myself.

"Belle," says Snow and I realize that she had been trying to get my attention for the past minute.

"Sorry," I reply, "I didn't mean to be rude."

Snow smiles at me, "You're not being rude. I know you don't want to be here-"

"It's not that," I interrupt her. I pause as I try to figure out how to explain how I'm feeling. "It's just that, I should be out looking for someone."

"True love?" Snow asks excitedly. I had heard stories from the Huntsman about Snow's journey and how she and her prince found each other. I nod, hoping she would understand how I felt.

"His name is Rumplestiltskin," I tell her. Her pale white face turned a shade of green in horror. "I know he's the Dark One, but he has the potential to be a good man."

Snow nods, not at all convinced. She places her hand over her bump, which was starting to grow smaller now that she had given birth to her daughter a few days earlier. "I understand if you want to go, but we'd love it if you would stay for a while. Even for a few days. We have a really good tracker in our castle. When you're ready, she can help you find him."

I debate it for a few moments before I respond, "I suppose I could stay for a couple of days." Snow seems very kind and I am not one to turn down a kind person's hospitality. Besides, a tracker would come in handy once I restarted my quest.

Snow grins and pulls me into a hug. I can't help but smile back, "Thank you for letting me stay here."

"It's no problem at all." A cricket hops over and tells Snow that there is business to attend to. She gives me directions to find my room and I set off into the castle.

I reach a darkened hallway, illuminated only by the light of the windows. I couldn't find the doorway to my bedchambers and I hadn't seen anyone wandering around the castle that I could ask for help. I hear footsteps behind me and a female voice asks, "Are you lost?"

I whip around to find a woman, as far as I could tell from her figure, standing in the shadows. "I can't see you," I say to her, "Step into the light."

"Sorry," she says and steps into the light cast by the nearest window. I find myself face to face with a strikingly beautiful woman with gorgeous hazel eyes. She is adorned with a bright red cloak with a hood pulled over her head. She's looking at me very intensely, yet I'm not afraid to meet her gaze. She smiles at me and I already feel at ease in her presence.

Both of us lock eyes for a few moments before I clear my throat and speak, "I'm Belle."

"Everyone calls me Red," says the woman and I wonder what her real name is, though the nickname suits her. Her face scrunches up as she tries to recall something, "You're the Queen's prisoner, the one who's staying with us."

I nod, "Just for a few days." Her face falls slightly, and I feel a little guilty, "Maybe longer. I don't know. Do you know where my room is?"

Red gestures down the hall, "It's down here. Let me show you." She walks past me and I follow her. We walk in silence for a few moments, before Red turns to me. "I hope you like it here Belle."

"I'm sure I will." I want to say more, but I'm too tired to start a conversation. I simply ask, "Will you show me around the castle tomorrow?"

Red stops in front of one of the doors and smiles at me, "I'd love to." She pauses before saying, "Here you are. If you need anything, I live across the hall."

"Thank you," I say, "Goodnight Red."

I hear her say good night in response as I open the door. The room is small but cozy. Paintings adorn the walls, though the room is sparsely furnished: a bed, a dresser, a table, two chairs, and a bathtub. I flop onto the bed and jump under the covers. I don't bother to change as my eyes close and sleep overtakes me.

 

Red POV:

I got the feeling that today would be different when I woke up. My wolf felt a little restless, which was unusual because it was nowhere near wolf's time. I ignored the feelings of anticipation in my stomach as I joined my grandmother, my best friend, her husband, and their newborn Emma for breakfast. Emma was screaming and crying a lot this morning, but I barely noticed. Snow and David looked happier than they had in days. I heard about the Queen's surrender and I was happy for them. They had spent the last several months worrying about the curse, and a massive weight had been lifted off of their shoulders, all of our shoulders.

Snow mentioned that the Queen had been adamant about one of her prisoners coming to live with us. "Why?" I ask curiously from my side of the table.

"She's worried about the curse being cast by someone else," Snow explained, "Apparently this girl might be the key to someone else casting the curse."

"And we're letting her stay here," Granny cut in, "She might put us all in danger."

"Our promise to protect her is part of the deal of Regina's surrender, I don't understand it, but it sounds like a reasonable request."

I silently agree with Snow. I didn't understand the Queen's change of heart, but there must be a reason why she entrusted this girl to us. "What time is she arriving?"

"This evening," David said, "Will you help her get settled?" I nod and that was the end of the discussion on that topic. As soon as breakfast was over, I went into the woods to my favorite spot by the side of the river. I liked to come here in my free time and relax, clear my head, think about my problems, whatever I needed to do.

The day went on normally, the only difference was the restlessness of my wolf. When the sun fell, Snow went outside to greet the girl as I helped Granny clean the kitchen. As I scrubbed my plate, a scent reached my nostrils. A pleasant combination of books, tea, and flowers, it was the sweetest scent I had ever smelled and my wolf was fighting to break free. I didn't realize that I had dropped the plate until it shattered on the ground.

Granny glared at me and started to reprimand me, but I couldn't focus on her. I walked out of the room as Granny was midsentence and used my nose to follow the scent. I followed it to a dark hallway, illuminated only by the light from the moonlight through the windows. There stands a woman, whose face I cannot see. She seems to be lost.

I call out to her and she turns around. She's incredibly short, has brown hair and blue eyes, and is the most beautiful woman I had ever seen. My wolf seemed to agree as she was fighting to be unleashed. To claim this woman, to turn her terrifies me, as I had long ago gotten the wolf under control.

She asks me to step into the light, and I feel foolish. I could easily see her in the shadows, but humans don't have the same vision. I apologize and step into the light. She looks me over in wonder and I stare back at her, restraining the wolf.

She introduces herself and I realize that she speaks with an adorable, yet unidentifiable accent. I tell her my nickname as I realize that this must be the girl that Snow spoke about, the one that the Queen wanted us to look after. I confirm this and she nods, explaining that she was only going to stay for a few days. A wave of sadness washes over me. I've only known this girl for a minute and I already knew that I was going to miss her when she left.

She notices my sadness and tells me that she might stay longer than a few days. It's enough to make me feel better. She asks me where her room is and I offer to lead her there. As we walk, I try to think of something to say. I'm normally not this shy, but Belle seems to have a strange effect on me. I force myself to say something to her and I settle on, "I hope you like it here."

My heart is fluttering in my chest as she responds. She asks me to show her around tomorrow and I grin with excitement. After I show her to her room, tell her where to find me if she needs me, and I say good night, I try to steady my heartbeat and calm my wolf down.

I remember that I left Granny in the kitchen and run back to her. My speed gets me back to the kitchen in seconds. She is about to yell at me some more, when she notices the look on my face. "How are you feeling?"

"Weird," I say, "The girl arrived and she's beautiful Granny. My heart is pounding and I've been fighting with the wolf."

Granny doesn't look surprised, "You know what this means Red?" I shake my head and she explains, "The wolf has claimed this girl as your mate."

I feel light-headed and I head to the table to sit down. Granny had briefly explained to me about mates and what it meant some time ago. I ignored most of what she said, as I didn't feel that I would be able to find someone else after Peter. The only thing I remembered Granny telling me was that wolves didn't eat their own mates, and I was devastated by that revelation.

Granny sat down next to me and I spent the rest of the evening asking her dozens of questions. We talked through most of the evening about Belle, mates, and everything else. She went to sleep in the middle of the night, but I went to my special spot in the woods. I was too excited and too anxious to sleep, but I relaxed on the riverbank as I thought about Belle, excited about seeing her again tomorrow.


	2. Chapter 2

Red POV:

The sun rises over the horizon many hours later and I stand up, stretching my arms over my head. Despite my lack of sleep, I feel wide-awake as my sensitive ears pick up the songs of the birds in the trees above. I want to see Belle and give her the tour that I promised, but I don't know if she is an early riser. I don't want to wake her, so I decide to find Snow instead.

I find Snow breastfeeding Emma in the nursery. Snow has a blissful look on her face and I'm incredibly thankful that the Queen didn't cast the terrible curse that would separate all of us. As Snow finishes feeding Emma, she looks up and sees me, giving me a wide smile as she places Emma back in her crib.

I follow her out of the room and we walk together down to the kitchen. "What do you think of Belle?" She asks me as soon as she bids me good morning.

The color rises in my cheeks, as I can't stop the smile that has broken out on my face. "She's amazing," I gush. I look over at Snow and see that she's giving me one of her knowing looks. "What?"

"I've seen that look before," she answers.

"What look?" I ask, pretending not to know what she's talking about.

"The oh so subtle 'I'm so smitten that I look like I have hearts in my eyes' look."

Her assessment makes me blush harder. I don't know why I try to hide how I feel from Snow, she has always been able to read me like a book. It's one of the reasons we've been such good friends for so many years. "According to Granny, she's my mate," I admit to her, filling her in on my discussion from last night.

As I finish my explanation, Snow squeals and hugs me excitedly, "I always knew you would eventually find someone else." She pauses for a second and then grimaces, like she's remembering something unpleasant. "There might be a small problem though."

"Is it because she is a woman?" A person finding love with someone of the same gender was almost unheard of in our world. Most people in our realm frowned upon that kind of love, particularly by the fairies that had the task of blessing all of the marriages of the world. There were a few stories, told as cautionary tales to the children as none of them had a happy ending. Even if they did end up happily, they typically lived on the outskirts of society as outcasts. I was incredibly lucky that Granny had so easily accepted the fact that I had a woman as a mate the previous evening.

Snow shook her head and reassured, "No, it has nothing to do with that. Love is love no matter what form it takes. Anyone who thinks otherwise wouldn't be allowed here."

I internally breathe a sigh of relief at her reassurance, but I am still confused. "What is the problem then?"

Taking a deep breath, Snow stated, "Yesterday, she mentioned that she had a true love." My heart sank like a stone. I shouldn't be surprised, as Belle probably had dozens of suitors vying for her attention. Any man would be lucky to have her. Just when I thought things couldn't get any worse, Snow says, "It's the Dark One."

I curse out loud. I had never met the Dark One personally, but the stories of his great power were legendary. I had once told Snow to look for him when she needed help so many years ago. He once helped my Grandmother by giving me the red cloak that was the only thing that could stop me from changing into a wolf during "wolfs time." However, I knew that the Dark One had hurt so many people, which is how he found himself imprisoned in the dungeon of this very castle. If he was Belle's true love, I didn't stand a chance with her.

Snow takes my hand and squeezes it to comfort me. Always seeming to know what I'm thinking she says, "Don't give up Red. Just be you and maybe you have a chance."

I shake my head, "It's true love, 'the most powerful magic of all.' You know firsthand."

"That may be true, but I would still choose to be with David even if my true love was someone else. Even true love cowers in front of the power of the heart's choice. Contrary to what you believe, Red, you do deserve to be happy."

I've tried to believe her so many times, but I just can't. After all, I was a monster and who could ever learn to love a monster? I don't deserve to be happy after what I had done. I don't deserve Belle. Unfortunately, I knew my wolf wouldn't allow me to stay away from her for too long. I had no choice but to try and be her friend. Belle's happiness was important to me, more important than my own, and I resolved to make sure she was happy during her time here.

As we walk by the kitchen, I pick up the sound of laughter and Belle's scent. I look inside to see Belle and the seven dwarfs sitting at the long table, talking and laughing like they had known each other for ages. She looks adorable and I can't help but smile at her. She notices me and smiles over at me. My heart pounds as I walk into the kitchen and sit next to her. I greet her, as I help myself to some of the food on the table. As I eat, I join in the conversation, sneaking glances at Belle, feeling a combination of excitement and dread of being alone with her again.

 

Belle POV:

The first thing I do when I wake up is get over my shock. I had become so accustomed to seeing nothing but the Queen's dungeon every single day for the past several months, that it took me a couple of seconds to remember that I was no longer in her prison. The room that I was staying in was quite pleasant and so were the people that lived here, especially the girl who identified herself as Red. I knew that I would enjoy my time here, but I was also anxious to start my journey to find Rumplestiltskin.

I wash up and find a nice blue dress hanging in the wardrobe. Slipping on the dress, I was pleasantly surprised to find that it fit me perfectly. As I step out of my bedchamber I nearly collide with a man surprisingly much shorter than me. "Sorry," I apologize as I look down at the man lying on his back. He sits up and my eyes light up with recognition. "Dreamy?"

"It's Grumpy now," said the dwarf, "It's good to see you Belle." He is wearing a scowl on his face mixed with a bit of heartbreak. I remembered how happy he was the last time we met, excited to run away with his love Nova. It seems that he never met up with her and my heart breaks for him. "What are you doing here?"

Reaching out my hand, I help him off the floor. "It's a long story. Where are you headed?"

"The kitchen," Grumpy replies.

"Can you show me how to get there?" I ask, not wanting to get lost in the castle again. Grumpy nods and I follow his lead. Seeing a familiar face inside the castle made me a lot more comfortable about staying here, and I was looking forward to catching up with the dwarf.

We arrive at the kitchen and six other dwarfs, who I vaguely remember from the dwarf tavern, are sitting at the table talking to an older woman. The group turns around and wave to their friend. Grumpy introduces me and the other dwarves invite me to join them. The older woman is still glaring at me, seeming to size me up. I wonder what I had done to get such a harsh look from her.

She gets up and walks towards me, "So you're the infamous Belle." I look at her in confusion and she elaborates, "My granddaughter Red was talking about you last night." She relaxes her gaze and holds her hand out, "Everyone calls me Granny."

"Nice to meet you," I reply as I shake her hand.

"If you need anything, I'm happy to help," says Granny as she smiles at me. I thank for her offer and she leaves the room as I sit down. Apparently she has other business to attend to. I grab some food and put it onto an empty plate as my stomach growls. The dwarves tell me all about their adventures and I tell them my story as we eat breakfast. Dopey cracks a joke and we all laugh. Soon, I feel someone's eyes on me and look to the door to see Red standing there. I smile at her and she smiles back, before sitting next to me. I feel strange in her presence, a bit nervous, yet I also feel at ease as though I had met her long before yesterday.

As we finish breakfast, I tell Red that I'm ready for her tour. She takes me through the hallways, showing me the highlights of the castle. I crane my head to look around at everything she is showing me. There are a lot of statues and paintings on the walls, and I find myself particularly transfixed by a stained glass window that depicted a two wolves sitting side by side on a hill.

We pass by a stone staircase that seems to go down to a basement of some sort. I notice that Red neglects to mention it and walks by. "What's down there?" I stop and point to the staircase.

Red turns very pale and says, "Just a dungeon." Her tone tells me that it's anything but an ordinary dungeon, which makes my curiosity grow. "We don't really allow people down there."

Her statement does nothing but make my curiosity grow. An idea comes to my mind as I let Red guide me away from the staircase. "Do you have a library of some sort?" I ask.

"Of course," Red says, "A really big one. Follow me." As excited as I am by the idea of a large library, I stick to my plan. As Red talks to me about the library, I make sure she isn't looking before I make a run for it.

I reach the staircase and look into the dark depths. I feel a sense of dread as I look down, but my curiosity wins out. I climb down the steps and soon the ground below shifts from stone to dirt. The hallway is lit only by a couple of torches, and the hallway appears to be empty.

Walking down the hallway, I hear my heart pounding with each step I take. I turn down another hallway and I find myself face to face with a prison cell. Upon seeing the occupant of the cell, my heart nearly stops. I look at him in disbelief, amazed that I was able to find him after everything. He looks shocked to see me, but gives me a crooked smile and simply says, "Belle."

I run towards him and soon we are face to face. I have so many thoughts running through my mind and so much that I want to say to him. All I can say at the moment is a soft, "Hello Rumple."


	3. Chapter 3

Belle POV:

For several moments we stare at each other, too shocked to speak. He finally says, "I thought you had died."

Of all of the things I expected him to say, that was not one of them. My confusion must be evident as he explains, "The Queen said that after you left..."

"The Queen is a liar," I retort. I can feel my anger building as I remembered my time in the Queen's castle. "She captured me and locked me up to get back at you."

Rumplestiltskin curses and yells, "I'm going to kill her." I take a small step forward so that we are face to face. I am touched by his willingness to defend me, even though I am terrified that he is threatening the life of another person.

"Calm down," I say, "I'm fine now, she let me go." He gawks at me as though I had grown an extra head. "She appears to be turning over a new leaf. She told me that she isn't going to go through with casting the terrible curse."

I expect to see relief on his face, but I see nothing but anger and hatred. It frightens me, but I stay rooted to the spot where I stand. "That ungrateful little…" he pauses, "After all of those years of preparation."

"You wanted her to cast the curse?" I ask in disbelief. I remember what the Queen had told me about him and the curse. I refused to believe her, as I desperately wanted her to be wrong.

"That's what I just said dearie," he replies with his usual tone, complete with smirk and hand gesture. At times I find this slightly charming, but at the moment it's condescending.

I keep my tone even as I ask him why he would want such a terrifying curse cast. "To find my son," he explains. He once told me about his son, very briefly when I was trying to get him to open up to me during my time in his castle. It was when I realized that he might still have some humanity left in him.

"Couldn't you have found another way to get to your son? A way that doesn't involve ruining other people's lives?"

He shook his head, "This is the way that it has to be."

I remember what the Queen had said about the curse. "Is it true that the cost of the curse is the heart of the thing you love most?" He looks away from me and I raise my voice, "don't lie to me."

He nods and confirms the truth. My heart shatters at the admission. The queen was right about the curse, about everything. I understand how much he wanted to find his own son, after all I had gone through so much to get back to him. I just couldn't accept the idea that this curse, that would ruin so many lives, was the only way for him to reunite with his son. If he was willing to hurt all of those people without a single hesitation, perhaps it was too late to rescue him from the darkness.

However, I once declared that I wouldn't stop fighting for him and I had to try. "Rumple, things can be different once I can get you out of here. We can work together to find another way to get to your son. There has to be something in one of the books in your library. We can make this work."

"It has to be this way, Belle," he replies curtly.

"By continuing to ruin people's lives?" I feel my anger rising. I know he has good in him, but he continues to be selfish. There has to be another way to get to his son, there's always another way.

"It's the only way, dearie," he snaps back at me. He pauses as he thinks. "I either have to find someone else to cast the curse or use your heart." He looks at me expectantly. For the first time, I back away from him in fear. My time in his castle flashes before my eyes. I've always chosen to remember the good times, the conversations where he opened up to me, the times when I saw hope for him and us. Now all I can remember are the bad memories, how frightened I was when he had rejected my kiss, how scared I was when he shook me and threw me into a dungeon, how repulsed I was when he forced me to listen to him torture people.

"You want to kill me?"

"I'm not going to kill you," he says, "I will take your heart and you can share mine. It's been done before, you'll still be alive." He pulls his own heart out of his chest and I recoil at the sight of it. It is almost completely black, but with two little spots of red pulsing through it. I know in that moment that I have to break my promise, even though I feel terrible about it. Deep down, I know his humanity is still there. For too long I've thought that I could help him conquer the darkness with our love. With all of the evidence in front of me, I realize that he needs more than my love to save him. I can't be with him like this, I won't be happy if I stay with him.

Shaking my head, I back away from his cell. "I won't let you have my heart." We both know that I'm talking about more than just the heart resting comfortably inside my body.

"Belle, please," Rumplestiltskin pleads.

"I can't be what you need me to be," I say, the tears rushing to my eyes. "I'm sorry," I whisper as I turn to leave.

Rumplestiltskin shouts after me, swearing that he will get my heart and cast the curse. Before I can react, a figure jumps in front of me. "You will not harm any part of her," Red growls at him. She must have followed me down here when she realized that I had left her upstairs. I am incredibly glad to see her.

The two glare at each other and the Dark One giggles, "How sweet, Beauty and the Wolf." I look at Red in confusion, wondering why he was referring to her as a wolf. Before I can ask, the Dark One uses his magic to throw Red against the stone wall. She slumps down to the ground in pain.

I rush to her and examine her. She is grimacing, but she is not seriously injured. "Are you alright?"

She forces a tight smile, "I'm fine." I turn to glare at Rumplestiltskin and he glares back without an ounce of remorse.

I turn back to Red who reaches out her hand. I gladly help her up. She leans on me for support as we walk back up to the castle. We reach the bright hallway of the castle and I lead Red to her room.

 

Red POV:

I sensed something was off as soon as I turned the corner. Sure enough, Belle was gone when I turned around. My heart sank, as I knew that she had gone down to see him. If I had learned anything from Snow, it was that true love would always find each other. My footsteps feel heavy as I descend down the staircase. I know that I have to ignore the heaviness in my heart, as I remembered my promise to myself this morning that I would make sure that she was safe and happy during her time here, even if it meant her being with him.

The murmuring of voices reaches my ear, but I am unable to make out what they are saying from this distance. I lean against the stone wall, fighting my urge to move forward in order to respect their privacy, but being close enough in case Belle needed me.

I hear Belle raise her voice slightly and I move closer. A few steps, and their conversation becomes clearer. She is begging him not to cast the curse. He mentions using her heart and I growl as I speed up towards the dungeon. I hear Belle say that she won't give him her heart and I can't help but smile. He disregards her declaration and I jump in front of her, shielding her. True love or not, I know how dangerous the Dark One is. I hear him refer to me as a wolf and I panic, as I wanted to be the one to tell her of my condition. Before I can gauge her reaction, an invisible force picks me up and throws me against the stone wall. A sharp pain shoots through my side and I groan. I feel Belle touch me as she asks if I'm alright. Her voice, along with my fast healing abilities lessens the pain.

She helps me up and I try to steady my breathing as her warm touch and sweet scent makes my inner wolf howl. I don't realize where she's taking me until I feel my knees hit my bed. "Thank you for helping me," I say as we sit on my bed.

"Thank you for defending me," She smiles back. Through her smile, I see that she is on the verge of crying. She tries to lift up my shirt to see the bruise and I flinch away from her. She immediately looks concerned. "Are you bleeding?"

I shake my head and lift up my shirt to show her the bruise that has healed. "I'm fine, barely a scratch." She looks at it with a curious expression. "What's wrong?"

Instead of answering she breaks down sobbing. "He was my true love," she says, "I wanted to believe that he could be a good man, that we could be happy together…but now I'm not so sure." I reach out to hug her and she wraps her arms around me. She feels warm and comfortable in my arms and I wish that I would never have to let her go. I pull away from her, and she wipes her eyes. "You probably think I'm pathetic."

I shake my head, "I don't. I think you're brave. It takes a lot of guts to stand up to the Dark One."

"Do you think I did the right thing?"

I resist the urge to say how I really feel. Of course she did the right thing. The Dark One was dangerous and wanted to cast the curse that would ruin all of our lives. I don't say any of that because I know that Belle still cares about him. "I think you did what was best for you. You deserve to be happy and you deserve someone who will put you first. Whether it's him, someone else, or you being independent, do what makes you happy."

Belle smiles and hugs me again. "You're such a good friend." I resist the urge to cry, knowing that a friend is all I will ever be to her. I pull away and smile back. We sit there for a few seconds in silence, before Belle asks, "What did he mean when he called you a wolf?"

I look down to avoid her eyes. I knew that I would eventually tell her, I just didn't think it would be so soon. I take a deep breath and I look back up at her. "I'm a child of the moon." She looks confused, so I elaborate, "On nights of the full moon, I turn into a wolf." I expect to see fear or disgust, but she looks curious, excited even. "You're taking this well."

"It's not every day you find out your friend is…"

"A monster?" I finish for her.

She shakes her head, "I wasn't going to say that at all. I think it's very interesting. How did you become a wolf?"

"My grandfather turned my grandmother," I explain, relieved that she isn't scared of me, "It's been passed down in my family ever since."

"I've read about werewolves," she says, "But I don't know much about them. What else is there to know?"

I want to tell her about Peter, about my mother, about how she is my mate, but I'm terrified. I was pleasantly surprised that she took the fact that I'm a wolf well, but telling her all of that might scare her. I know that I have to tell her someday and I will, but I'm not ready yet. "There's a lot," I say to her, "I think we should talk more about it some other time. I want to know more about you. What do you like to do?"

Belle seems to understand and doesn't press the issue. Her face lights up, "I love to read."

"Really?" She had asked about the library before, but I had figured she had done that to distract me.

She nods, and I stand up. "Let me show you the library, it's just down the hall." She smiles and I lead her out of my room.


	4. Chapter 4

Belle POV:

I eagerly trail behind Red towards the library. Books have always been a comfort to me and I need all of the comfort I can get right now. I nearly trip over Red as she stops in front of a plain door. I can't help but gasp when Red opens the door. The library is massive, with rows upon rows of books lining the walls. Thousands of lessons and adventures are just at arm's reach.

"It's beautiful," I exclaim, turning to see Red smiling at me. She gives me a brief tour of the library, showing me how everything is organized by genre and author. I anticipate that I will be spending a lot of time here during my time in the castle. Soon after, Red leaves the room and I peruse the shelves for a book. A book with the title of "The Knight's Rescue," catches my eye and I grab it off the dusty shelf. The book was my favorite growing up, but I haven't read it since my mother's death. I settle into a red velvet armchair and wipe the dust off the front cover.

Red comes back carrying two cups of tea and I look up from the pages. "You didn't have to bring me anything," I say, as a smile crosses my face.

Placing the teacup on the table in front of me, Red says, "You are our guest and I wanted to make sure that you are comfortable here."

"How did you know that tea was my favorite?"

She shrugs in response, "Lucky guess." She sits down at the table across from me and takes a sip of her own cup. "What are you reading?"

"One of my favorites," I answer, holding it up for her to see. "My mother used to read it to me when I was little. It has everything: far off places, daring sword fights, magic spells, a prince in disguise." I flip the book to my favorite part, "Here's where she meets Prince Charming, but won't discover that it's him till chapter 3."

Red scrunches her face as though trying to recall a memory. "I don't think I've read that one, but it sounds fascinating."

"I'll read it to you," I reply quickly. She looks at me gleefully and I can feel her excitement. I feel my face flush slightly from meeting her eyes. It's probably very warm in here. I take a sip from my teacup before starting to read. I try to read it with the same dramatic narration as my mother had read it to me. Midway through, I pause to take a breath and glance at Red. She is staring at me intently, as though she is hanging onto my every word.

The book ends with the knight rescuing the princess, his proposal to her, and the promise of a happily ever after. I shut the book and glance at Red who seems a little disappointed, as well as another emotion that I can't identify. She meets my eyes again, "You're a very good reader."

"Thank you."

"Can you read to me again sometime?"

"Maybe," I reply, thrilled that she liked the story. "But there are so many books I want to read."

"What is it about books that you love so much?" She seems genuinely curious.

I can't help but smile as I try to sum up so many feelings into a simple explanation. "I love that they're full of adventure. That many of them take me to places that I wish that I could go. They're filled with compelling characters and they usually get their happy ending." I look down as I say the last part, my excitement dampen somewhat. I had thought that my happy ending would be by Rumplestiltskin's side. Perhaps I was too quick to end things with him earlier. Maybe I can still convince him that there is another way to find his son, one that doesn't involve another curse or my heart.

"I liked it," she says, interrupting my train of thought.

"I'm glad," I force myself to smile at her, "Do you read often?"

Red shakes her head, "I read sometimes, but not often enough to be considered an avid reader."

"It's not for everyone," I say, "Thanks for keeping me company."

Red smiles, "It's my pleasure."

"Red, can I ask you something?" Her face becomes extremely pale and I decide to not ask her anything about the wolf. Instead, I ask, "What's your real name? You said that everyone calls you Red but you didn't say what your actual name is."

She lets out a small sigh of relief, "My real name…it's Rose. Though I don't really like it."

"Rose," I say, trying it out to see how it sounds, "I like it. My favorite flowers are roses."

"Really?" She seems almost hopeful.

"Yes," I nod, but I grimace immediately after as a wave of despair washes over me. I have a flashback to the rose that Rumple had given me during my time in his castle. It was one of the first signs that he was a good person behind the curse. I was so confident that I had made the right decision this morning, but now I'm having my doubts. I feel the tears returning to my eyes. I sniff and turn to Red, "Do you mind if I have a little time alone?"

"Sure," she looks hesitant, a little worried, but she stands up. "Can I come and see you tomorrow?"

"Of course," I reply, "I would like that very much. Thanks again, Rose. For everything."

"Anytime," she says as she leaves the library to give me my privacy. As soon as I hear the click of the door shutting, I get up and walk through the shelves. I choose another book and return to the comfortable armchair. Wiping the tears from my eyes, I bury myself into another book, trying to let the words wash away my sorrows.

 

Red POV:

Over the next week, we fall into a comfortable routine. Belle and I eat breakfast together every morning, usually joined by Granny and the dwarves. Afterwards, we retire to the library where we talk and tell stories about our lives. As afternoon came, I leave her to her private reading and I go for a run in the woods, spend time in my retreat, or talk with Granny in the kitchen. My time with her is the highlight of each day and I never want it to end.

As the full moon approaches, I find that spending time with her was becoming more difficult. I find myself getting more and more restless with each passing day. I had always felt this way around wolfstime, but it was even more intense now that I had found my mate and lived in such close proximity to her. My wolf keeps trying its best to claw its way out and each day in the library becomes a struggle. The wolf's instinct is to mate with Belle and turn her, but I can't let that happen, as Belle doesn't even know about it. And even when I do tell her about it, I know that I would still be nothing more than a friend to her.

When I feel that the wolf was getting too restless, I say goodbye to Belle. As soon as I leave the library, I run to the safety of my bedchamber and lock the door. One way to calm the wolf is to give it the release that it needs. I strip myself and slip under the covers, providing the release that the wolf desperately needed with Belle's name on my lips. As soon as the wolf is satisfied, I feel guilty at what I have just done. I end up avoiding Belle for the rest of the day and go running in the woods instead. Finding solace in my riverbank hideaway, I sit and think, mostly about Belle while ignoring the dull aches that reverberate throughout my body when I am apart from her. When morning comes, I join her for breakfast again and the cycle restarts itself.

The night before the full moon arrives soon enough and I avoid Belle altogether. I had learned to control the wolf when I first discovered my condition, but I don't have faith in my self-control now. I know that my wolf won't kill Belle, not like it had with Peter. But I won't be able to live with myself if my wolf mates with Belle against her will, turning her into a beast that she doesn't want to become.

I decide instead to visit Snow. We haven't spoken much since the day of Belle's arrival. She has been busy with Emma and running a kingdom and she hasn't had much time to spend with me. Snow is happy to see me when I enter the nursery. She places a sleeping Emma into her crib and I take in her disheveled hair and the dark bags under her eyes.

We quietly leave the nursery and Snow asks me about Belle. I fill her in on all that has happened since our last talk, the confrontation with the Dark One and my daily talks with Belle in the library. Snow beams at me and I know that she is happy for me, thrilled that I am finally starting to move on from Peter. I want to point out that Belle would never feel the same way about me and that I could never truly move on without my mate, but I stay silent and nod instead.

Her smile suddenly turns into a grimace. "Did you say The Dark One magically threw you against a wall? While he was still in his cell?" I nod and she sprints down to the dungeon and I jog to keep up with her. "He's not supposed to be able to do magic in his cell." Snow explains as we run, her pace and breath quickening.

We reach the end of the hallway that leads to The Dark One's prison and Snow curses loudly. The bars on the cell have completely disintegrated and The Dark One is nowhere to be found. I hear Snow order her guards around, but all I can think of is Belle. I feel like I'm about to throw up as fear grips my body.

I run through the castle faster than I ever have in my life. I reach the library and exhale in relief when I find Belle sitting in her favorite armchair, beautiful and calm, but most importantly, unharmed. My heart still thumps in my chest, but the intensity dies down a bit. She senses my presence and smiles at me, putting her book down. "Hello," she sees the expression on my face. "What's wrong?"

Taking a deep breath, I break the news to her. "The Dark One has escaped."

If she's scared by the news, she doesn't show it. She stands up, "Let me help you find him."

"You can't," I blurt out, "the moon's going to be up soon."

She considers this, "I'm going." She comes closer to me and I use all of my willpower to back away from her. "What's wrong?"

"You should be afraid of me." Any reasonable person would be.

"Well, I'm not," she says.

"I've killed before," I admit to her. Belle is stubborn, but I hope that I can encourage her to back off. "And I don't want to do it again."

She looks shocked but she still takes a step forward. "No matter what you've done in your past," she says calmly, "Snow sees the good in you and it tells me one thing."

"What?"

"That it's in there," she says, "And if we can all see it, why can't you?" Her face is dangerously close to mine, and I desperately want to kiss her. I lean in slightly, but I stop myself from reaching her lips. I need to get out of here, as soon as I can.

I'm touched by her faith in me, but I'm too afraid. I know that I won't kill her, but I don't want to hurt her, and I don't want the Dark One to hurt her. "Maybe you're right," I say as I back away from her. "But I can't take that risk. I am a monster and I can't let you get hurt."

I start to leave the room and Belle calls after me, "What are you doing?"

"I'm sorry Belle," I say, already regretting what I'm about to do. "But I need to keep you safe." I close the library door behind me, trying to ignore Belle's pleas as I lock the door behind me. I'm frozen with fear and regret, but something happening to Belle would hurt more. I hear her banging her fists against the door and I wipe a couple of stray tears from my eyes, knowing that she'll probably never want to speak to me again after tonight. I resist the urge to run back to her and I ignore my own guilt as I run out of the castle. The full moon hits my body and I shift into my wolf form before running into the woods, a howl leaving my lips.


	5. Chapter 5

Belle POV:

"Red!" I shout as I bang my fists on the library door. Even though I am well aware that she is long gone, I call out, "Let me out this instant!" My fists start to ache and I cease my futile efforts. Slumping down against the fame of the door, I stifle a sob as I think about my predicament. My heart constricts in my chest and I struggle to breathe as I think back to how many times I have been in this predicament. It seems as though no matter what I do, I always end up being trapped. First it was my father, then Rumple, then Regina, and now Red. I should be furious at Red, but yet somehow I am not. Unlike the others, I know that her intent is not to hurt me. Despite knowing that, it wasn't going to stop me from having a few strong words with her once I see her again.

I've adapted to spending my time alone in rooms well over the years. Luckily, Red has chosen to lock me in a library with hundreds of books to pass the time right at my fingertips. However, I know that I can't sit still this time. Rumplestiltskin has broken out of his cell and is running free, no doubt taking matters into his own hands and preparing to cast the dark curse. I don't know what I'm more frightened of: my heart being violently ripped from my chest to finish the curse or Red, or anyone else, being hurt by Rumplestiltskin.

I think of Red and Snow and Charming and the dwarves and Granny. They were all good people who had been nothing but kind to me during my time here. None of them deserve to have their lives ruined by the curse. I can't let that happen. I need to find Rumple and convince him to stop before anyone else is hurt. If anyone can get through to him, it's me.

With a renewed sense of purpose, I hoist myself up and face the door. I try to slam my body into the door, hoping that it will pop open with the force. Besides, a loud bang, the door doesn't budge. I don't have the physical strength, but I make up for it in knowledge. There has to be another way out of here. I stare at the lock, trying to figure out how to open it and break out of the room. Wracking my brain for a solution, I recall a book I read several years ago. It had details on how to pick any lock. I read it one day when I was bored, never thinking it would actually come in handy. How wrong I was.

Studying the lock, I determine that a small, long object could be used to slip inside the handle and a bit of twisting would open the door. I have no idea where I could find such a tool in the library. I run my fingers through my hair and I feel the pin holding my ponytail together. I guess that will have to do. I slip it out of my hair and my hair falls around my shoulders. My hands are shaking and I drop the pin. I pick it up, with a sense of desperate determination overtaking me. Slipping the pin into the lock, I jiggle it around just as the book had explained. A few minutes later and I feel a click. I gently push the door open and to my delight, it swings open easily. Tucking the pin into my pocket, I skip the celebration and run out of the castle and into the woods.

The wind hits my face as I take my first step out of the castle in over a week. I spot the entrance to the woods just a few yards to the right, and I take off into the unknown. Passing by a couple of Snow's guardsmen, presumably looking for Rumplestiltskin, I decide to remain inconspicuous and not show myself to them. I have to do this on my own. I need to find him before they do. I know that if they find him, they will attempt to kill him. I am furious at him, but I don't want him to die. If I can find him, I can try and talk him down. I've done it before, surely I can do it again. Soon I find myself alone in the woods, and I dash through the trees, hearing twigs snap at my feet as I run.

Soon I reach a clearing in the heart of the woods and I stop to catch my breath. I jump when I hear a twig snap behind me. Spinning around with my fists clenched, I find myself face to face with a massive wolf. It has dark fur and the biggest paws I had ever seen. Its eyes shine gold, but there is no mistaking them.

"Red," I whisper in awe as my breath hitches in my throat. The wolf steadily approaches me, looking hungrily at my figure. A jolt of adrenaline travels down my spine, but I am not afraid of the big bad wolf.

Standing up straight, I stare down the wolf. "Red," I say a little louder so that the wolf can clearly hear me. "I know you're in there. I know that you're scared that you'll hurt me, but you shouldn't be. You won't hurt me Rose. I have faith in you. All you need is faith in yourself." My eyes never leaving Red's, I stand my ground. My words seem to get through to her and she stops her approach.

I take a tentative step towards her and reach out my hand to her. She closes the distance between us and allows me to run my fingers through her fur. It's soft, yet it bristles near the top. Pulling my hand away, Rose almost looks sad. Her head cocks slightly to the side and I'm reminded of a giant puppy. "You're beautiful," I say as I watch her. She gives a grunt of contentment in response and I grin at her.

Our moment is interrupted as Red is lifted and thrown against a tree in the blink of an eye. Rumplestiltskin steps into the clearing. "Hello Belle," he greets me, his eyes no longer expressing the warmth I once saw in them. I stand rooted to the spot, fear paralyzing my movements.

He towers over Red who snarls at him. She whines in pain as she looks up at him. Rumplestiltskin kicks her and declares, "Nobody gets in my way, Dearie." He pulls his dagger out and raises it to strike. I am confused about why he is using his dagger when he has dark magic. "Especially a beast like you."

"Stop!" I scream, still frozen to the spot. Rumpestiltskin looks over at me, the dagger still raised.

"She has to die, Belle," he says. Red groans, closing her eyes in preparation for the deadly blow. I flash back to my time in Rumplestiltskin's castle. I recall that he once mentioned that his dagger had a more powerful effect on magical beings than the use of magic. I have no doubt that he wants Red to suffer as she dies, her only crime is coming to my defense.

"Please don't hurt her," I plead, the tears springing to my eyes. I see Red look over at me and my heart clenches at the thought of losing her.

Rumplestiltskin looks at me incredulously. "If I didn't know any better, I'd say that you care for this monster." I see a thousand images flash through my mind. I see every time Rumplestiltskin locked me up in his dungeon without a care in the world. I see all the times he mocked me, made me feel lower than dirt. I see his rejection when I tried to break his curse with true love's kiss. I spent so long clinging to hope that he would change and become a better person that I ignored how much he hurt me. Red may have locked me in a library this evening, but she would never hurt me the way that Rumplestiltskin had.

"She's not the monster," I declare, no doubt left in my mind. I try to keep my voice even despite the fact that I am shaking and tears are starting to roll down my cheeks. "You are."

The Dark One looks surprised at this, even a little hurt. The more I look at him, I realize that all of the hope I had for him to become a better man had evaporated before my eyes. True love or not, he and I have no future together.

Red takes the opportunity to use her remaining strength and lunge at him. Caught off guard, the dagger flies out of his hands and lands near my feet. Mobilized into action, I dive for the dagger, remembering my research on the Dark One curse. My hand clasps around the handle and I nearly drop it as the weight of its power overwhelms me.

Lifting the dagger, I speak clearly as my I look the Dark One straight in the eye. "Rumplestiltskin, I command you to never harm another man, woman, child…" I glance over at Red, "Or animal for as long as you live." A though quickly crosses my mind and I add, "Unless in self-defense."

Rumplestilstkin looks betrayed, but I know that I'm doing the right thing. I fight my tears as I lower the dagger and say, "Go find your son…and never come back."

"Belle, I'm sorry," Rumplestiltskin pleads, "I'll be better, I promise. I love you."

I take a deep breath, surprised to find that I feel nothing at his declaration. I don't trust his empty promise. "I once saw the man behind the beast, but now there's only a beast." I gesture towards the woods, "Go. Go find your son, go find your happy ending, just don't come back." He stands rooted to the spot and I lift the dagger. "Don't make me use this again."

He finally recognizes that I am serious and he takes a deep breath. "Goodbye Belle." He waves his hand and a puff of smoke takes him away from the clearing, and with that he is gone.

I drop the dagger and fall to ground. The floodgates open and I sob violently. I feel fur against my face and I see that Red has come over and is trying to nuzzle me. She shows no sign of injury and I wrap my arms around her body. "Thank you Rose." I allow myself to relax into her touch. "Thank you for saving me."

 

Red POV:

The rising sun forces my eyes open. I shift uncomfortably as I realize that I have been sleeping on the floor of the woods. I feel a warm body wrapped around me and I look at Belle's sleeping figure. Her scent reaches my nose and I revel in it. She looks just as beautiful with her eyes closed and her hair splayed out across the ground. I am temporarily worried about my close proximity to her, but I relax as I realize that the wolf has stopped fighting.

The dagger sits on the ground only a few feet away. I pick it up as I remember the previous night's events. Despite knowing how much Belle had loved him, I was glad that Dark One was gone. Hopefully, he would respect Belle's wishes and never come back.

A bird chirps loudly in a nearby tree and Belle stirs awake. "Good morning," I say to her. She becomes aware of her surroundings and pulls away from me. I already miss her warmth against my body. "How late is it?" Belle asked, stretching her arms and yawning.

"It's still morning," I tell her noticing the sun's position in the sky. "How are you feeling?"

She pauses, biting her lip as she composes her thoughts. "I feel…relieved. Surprisingly."

"No regrets?" I ask as I pull a stray leaf out of her hair.

She shakes her head, "No regrets." My heart flutters in my chest at her smile.

"I'm sorry," I say, "For locking you in the library. I shouldn't have done it."

"You shouldn't have," she concurs. She looks slightly annoyed by it, but she doesn't seem angry. "After what happened last night, I realized that I'm not angry at you for doing it," she says as though she knows what I was thinking. "You were trying to protect me."

"How did you get out?" I ask her curiously.

"I picked the lock," she says casually as though this was an everyday occurrence. Her quick thinking impresses me.

"I'm so sorry. I should have had more faith in you," I say, "Just like you have faith in me." Despite her reassurance, I still feel guilty.

"Don't beat yourself up about it," she assures me, "What's done is done."

I stand up, brushing the dirt off of my clothes. I hold my hand out to her. "I want to show you something."

She takes my hand, giving me a curious expression as I help her up. "Follow me," I call to her as I walk deeper into the woods. I hear her footsteps behind me as I lead her down the path that I know like the back of my hand.

We reach my riverbank sanctuary and I look over at her. "This is my special place. I come hear to think and clear my head."

"It's lovely," she says, surveying the area. She sits down on one of the rocks near the riverbank and I join her.

We sit in silence, as I listen to both the methodical churning of the river and Belle's breathing. She glances over at me a few times, as though she wants to ask me something. She finally works up the courage and asks me what she's been dying to know. "When you said that you've killed before, what did you mean?"

Taking a deep breath, I tell her my story. I tell her about Peter, my mother, and everything that happened after that. Belle is an attentive listener, hanging onto my every word. As I finish the story, she looks deep into my eyes and my face feels uncomfortably warm.

"That is quite a story," she says. I am relieved to see no fear in her eyes. "It's so tragic, yet you've managed to overcome all of it. I meant what I said. You're not a monster Red, no matter what anyone says. Yes, you've killed, but you shouldn't hate yourself. The first time was an accident. You didn't know you were the wolf and you didn't know what would happen. The second time was to protect your friend and I find that honorable." I've heard Snow tell me that many times before, and I knew deep down that she was right. But after last night and hearing the words come from my mate, it's the first time that I truly start to believe it. It doesn't assuage my guilt as I think about it, but it's a step forward.

"Perhaps one day, you'll find someone else. Someone who will be your happy ending." I know I should tell her the truth. I have already found that someone else. I need to tell her that she's my mate. However, I am terrified to say it. Before I can speak, she adds, "One of us should get our happy ending."

My heart breaks for her. I know how hard it was to say goodbye to someone you love. "You'll find your own happy ending as well," I encourage her. I know that she is my only possible happy ending, as wolves mate for life. It would cause me a great deal of pain, but I would step aside and suffer in silence if it meant that Belle found her own happiness.

She shakes her head. "I had true love and that didn't work out. Maybe that kind of happy ending is only in books and my ending has come."

"Maybe a new story is beginning for you," I reassure her. "Maybe life is a series of books that go on until the end of your life. Maybe one day you'll fall in love again."

"I don't think so," she says. She is firm in her stance and I realize that I can't tell her at the moment. She's been so understanding of everything, but I know that that the truth will scare her away. Granny told me about the pain a wolf feels when away from their mate, even before the bond is sealed and I don't want to lose the friendship that we have been developing so quickly. I know I need to tell her, but I resolve to wait. I'll wait until the smoke clears a bit, and then I'll tell her.

"Thanks again for saving me," she says, pulling me out of my thoughts.

"Thank you for saving me," I reply. Not only had she saved my life, stopping The Dark One from killing me, she had restored my faith in myself by believing in me. She had been such a good friend to me, and I only hope that she will still accept me when I tell her the truth.


	6. Chapter 6

Belle POV:

I get a few quiet minutes of peace with Red before Snow, Charming, and a few of their guardsmen burst into the clearing, startling me. Snow signals to the guards to put down their weapons when she sees us. Running forward, she embraces Red who looks a bit startled.

"Are you okay?" Snow asks worriedly. "When you and Belle didn't come back last night, I was scared that the Dark One…" She can't finish her sentence, but her fearful expression gives me an idea of what she is imagining.

"The Dark One has been handled," I say. Snow turns to me and I show her the dagger in my possession. "He won't hurt anyone ever again."

"That's good to hear," Charming says, breathing a sigh of relief. "Thank you for saving our kingdom." He looks between Red and me.

"It was all Belle," Red says with a look of pride and another emotion I can't discern.

"Thank you Belle," says Snow. "All of us owe our lives to you. We will have a feast in your honor this evening."

"It's nothing," I say slightly embarrassed. I'm not used to this sort of praise, being considered a hero. For as long as I could remember, I had wanted to be a heroes like the ones I read about in my stories. It was that desire that made my decision to go with Rumplestilskin to protect my kingdom a lot easier. Hearing others honoring me for my actions feels strange, but I suppose heroes get used to it over time.

"You two must be starving," Snow says just as my stomach growls. "Come back to the castle. There's some breakfast left over."

Red and I follow the group back to the castle. A couple of plates of food sit on the kitchen table. Red and I sit down and I pull a plate towards me. I wolf down the food, not caring how unladylike I look. I glance over at Red and find her scarfing down her breakfast with the same intensity. She meets my eyes and a bit of porridge is resting on her chin. Her face turns red with embarrassment and she puts the bowl down. Wiping her chin with a napkin, she picks up her spoon and resumes eating. She smiles over at me and I find it oddly endearing.

After breakfast is over, Red leaves me to talk to Snow about last night. I head up the stairs into the library and settle into my chair, grabbing the book I was reading last night before the craziness began. I flip to where I had left off and resume my reading.

I lose track of time and don't realize that it's afternoon before the door opens. To my surprise, it is not Red, but Grumpy who has come to visit me today. He walks in rolling in a cart with lunch and tea. "It's good to see you," I say, though I feel slightly guilty that I haven't visited with him more since my first day at the castle.

"Sorry we haven't visited more," he says, taking Red's usual seat. "I've been busy."

"It's alright," I smile at him as I place the book I am holding down on the table. "We have a lot to catch up on."

Cutting right to the chase, Grumpy asks, "I heard that you took on The Dark One last night. What happened?"

I fill him in on the previous night's events. I fight the urge to cry as I recall my ordeal. As I finish my story Grumpy asks, "Did you really love him?"

I nod, "Yes. He was my true love."

"I'm sorry," Grumpy replies, "I guess we both have broken hearts now."

"I guess," I reply wistfully. I sip my tea, "Misery loves company, right?"

Grumpy raises his own teacup. "Truer words have never been spoken." He pauses, "Though I doubt you'll be miserable for long."

My brow furrows, "What do you mean?"

"You're a pretty girl Belle," Grumpy replies, "You'll have plenty of suitors in now time, if you don't already."

"What do you mean?" I ask again, growing more confused.

Grumpy shrugs, "It's nothing, it's just that the other dwarves suspect that perhaps Red has feelings for you."

I gape at him, "Red and I are friends…and she's a woman." There isn't anything wrong with a woman loving another woman, despite what my father says. It's just that Red's previous lover was a boy, not a girl.

He gives me a pained smile in return. "All I'm saying is that she doesn't look at Snow the way she looks at you."

"That's crazy," I retort, though hundreds of thoughts are running through my mind. It can't be true. Red is my friend and never treated me as anything more than that.

Grumpy shrugs in response, "I suppose you know her much better than I do." He pauses to sip his tea. "After all, she doesn't open up to just anyone." I sit in stunned silence, my mind working in overdrive. Grumpy seems to pick up on my discomfort and apologizes quickly. "I'm sorry. I didn't mean to upset you. Maybe I'm wrong, maybe it's just a wolf thing or something. I never understood how it works."

"It's fine," I say, "Can we talk about something else?"

He obliges and we talk about the rumors around the castle. I try to give him my full attention, but I find my mind wandering to Red. I thought that I had learned to recognize when someone was in love. I had after all recognized Grumpy's own feelings for Nova and had been the one to realize that my relationship with Rumplestiltskin had grown romantic. Could I be wrong this time, or is Grumpy's theory just a theory? I resolve to look more into it when I see her again.

My afternoon with Grumpy comes to a close and I get ready for the feast in my honor. A handmaiden filled my closet with clothes during my time here and I'm pleased that she has a good sense of fashion. I grab a simple blue dress sitting next to a bright gold one that looks similar to the one that I owned back home. Getting ready, I make my way down the staircase to the dining hall of the castle.

Red is waiting for me at the entrance. She wears her traditional outfit, with her red cloak with a hood draped over her. I'm surprised to see her, as the full moon still shines in the sky.

Our eyes lock and she smiles at me. Her smile is warm and inviting. Her eyes twinkle with hazel, but I still see pain behind them. "Hello," she says, "You look beautiful."

I feel a slight blush come to my cheeks. I've been complimented on my beauty before, but it feels different coming from her. It must feel different coming from a close friend. "Thank you," I say. "Does wolfstime last only one day?"

She shakes her head and gestures to her cloak. "It normally lasts about two or three days, but this cloak is enchanted to keep me from turning."

I reach out to touch her cloak and run my fingers through it. It's soft and looks ordinary, but I can feel magic coursing through it. I know how much Red likes to run and I'm pleased that she decided to forgo it to spend the evening with me. "Thank you for coming." I say as we go inside.

The dining room is set for a large group of people. Granny and all seven of the dwarves are sitting down. Snow and Charming are sitting at the head of the table. Delicious looking plates of food lay around the table.

Snow comes over to greet us and Red turns to look at her. I remember what Grumpy had said earlier. I study her face as she looks at her friend. Her smile is the same and her eyes still twinkle, but there is something different about her expression. I can't quite describe it, but I notice something different when she looks at me.

I sit down next to Grumpy and Red sits down next to me. Snow returns to her seat and I look over at Charming. David looks at his wife and I notice many similarities between his expression and Red's. I know that Snow and David are each other's true love, but Red and I are not, unless it is possible to have more than one true love.

My thoughts are cut short as Charming stands up. He toasts to me and everyone else drinks in my honor. I'm getting used to being called a hero, though I'm still heartbroken about the circumstances that earned me the title. I enjoy the feast and make conversation with Red and the dwarves. My conversation with Grumpy echoes in the back of my mind. I am starting to believe that maybe he is right. Perhaps it is true that that is something there with Red that isn't there with anyone else. I remember him mention it possibly being a wolf thing and an idea springs to my mind.

The evening soon ends and I say good night to everyone. Red and I walk up to our bedchambers and I say good night. As her door closes behind her, I walk towards the library. I scan the shelves, looking for the right book. I spot a book on lycanthropy and I pull it off the shelf. Settling into my reading chair, I open the book determined to find an explanation, even if it takes all night.

 

Red POV:

I wake up to the sight of snow falling outside my window. I jump up excitedly and pull off my cloak. I've always loved snow, but it has been so long since I've gotten a chance to play in it. I run to Belle's room and knock on her door. I get no answer, but I wait a few minutes. After a while, I decide to check the library. Sure enough, I find Belle fast asleep on her favorite chair, a book open on the table.

Tiptoeing, I gently shake her awake. Her eyes flutter open and she groggily says, "Good morning."

"It's snowing," I say excitedly. She sits up with a smile, becoming more alert. She goes back to her room to put on a coat and I wait for her. She emerges dressed for the weather and I lead her outside. The snow comes up to my ankles, but it's easy to pack. I grin as I form a snowball in my hands. I lob it at an unsuspecting Belle. She whirls around and feigns being hurt. Bending down, she packs a snowball and throws it at me. I dodge it easily and it hits the castle wall. We continue throwing snowballs at each other, though I manage to dodge hers more often than she dodges mine. I chase her around the snow, slowing down to normal speed.

She slips on a patch of ice and rush to catch her. I look into her eyes and she looks into mine. It feels for a moment like we're about to kiss, but neither of us move. She wriggles out of my grasp, looking uncomfortable. "Thank you," she says. She is smiling but it doesn't quite reach her eyes.

"Are you okay?" I ask.

To my surprise, she backs away from me. "Yeah," she says, "I'm just tired." She turns around and walks back into the castle, leaving me standing in the snow. I replay our morning and the night before, trying to figure out why she's acting differently. Nothing comes to mind. I assume that she must be really tired and continue my daily routine. I'll try to talk to her later, when she's better rested.

The days go by and she continues to act distant. We still spend time together in the library and talk to each other, but things are different. She seems uncomfortable when we talk, she doesn't hug me as much anymore.

"How are you feeling?" I ask her one afternoon. We sit across from each other in the library, where we normally spend our days. I've never felt farther away from her, even though neither of us has moved an inch. She gives me a look and I clarify, "About the Dark One."

She freezes, it appears like several conflicting emotions run through her. She finally looks up at me, though not quite meeting my eyes. "I think I'm starting to move on…. at least it doesn't bother me as much."

I smile at her, but her expression doesn't change. "I'm glad to hear it."

"Why do you want to know?" She's looking at me like she's expecting a certain answer. I feel like I'm back in school and answering a question in front of the class.

"You're my friend," I tell her, "I care about you." It's not a lie, but I know I can't tell her that my caring for her goes farther than just friendship. She looks down again and I realize that I haven't given her the answer that she was looking for. We spend several moments in silence before I excuse myself and go for a run.

At night I lie in bed, wondering what happened to change things between us. If it was something that I did, I wish that she would tell me so that I can try to fix it. I'm too scared to ask and I continue to go through each day hoping that things will return to normal.

It is a month later and things still haven't gotten better. In fact, things have gotten tenser. I'm spending more time on my own while she spends more time in the library. My heart constricts in my chest each time I think about it. I know I should ask what's wrong, but my fear keeps me from going through with it.

I resolve to talk to Granny instead. I find her in the kitchen preparing lunch. She turns around as I come in and asks me if I will finally tell her what's wrong. She always seems to know when something is wrong.

Clearing my throat, I say, "Things have changed with Belle and I'm not sure why."

"Well not everyone can accept the mate bond so easily." After a brief pause she says, "You did tell her, right?"

"I…uh…no," I confess, "I didn't."

Granny tenses, "You have to tell her."

"But I don't know how to start," I reply.

"Sit her down, tell her what I told you about it. Stop waiting around and do it already."

"Fine," I huff. I know she is right about this, but my years of her bossing me around caused me to react to her requests with reluctant complying.

"Good girl," Granny says. I exit the kitchen and walk up to the library. With each step, I fight to gain the courage to say what I need to say. I tell myself that I can do this, that it's just Belle. She's been accepting of my wolf so far, even though there was no talk of the mate bond involved.

Stopping in front of the library, I see Belle sitting on her chair. I lightly knock at the open door and she turns to look at me. "Can we talk?" I ask hesitantly. She looks uncomfortable at the sight of me, but she stands up to greet me. Taking a deep breath I say, "There's something I need to tell you." She doesn't say anything and I continue, "Part of being a wolf is having a strong bond with another person."

"Their mate," Belle replies and I look at her surprised. She picks up a book sitting on a table. I see that the book is on lycanthropy. "I've been doing some research."

"So you know all about it," I say relieved that I don't have to go into a long explanation. "Belle, you are my mate."

"I know," Belle says, and I look at her in surprise. "I figured it out a few weeks ago. I've been waiting for you to say it."

I want to slap myself for my stupidity. Of course she figured it out. She is the smartest girl I've known, it probably didn't take that long for her to put the pieces together. No wonder she has been so distant from me lately. "I'm sorry, I know I should have told you, I just didn't know how to say it."

"It's not an easy conversation," Belle admits.

I nod my head in agreement. "It isn't." I pause for a moment. "How do you feel about it?"

"I don't know," she admits, "I need you to clarify something for me."

"What?" I'm nervous about what she's about to ask.

She takes a deep breath. "Would you be interested in me if I wasn't your mate? Is the only reason we became friends is because your wolf wants to mate with me?"

I don't know what I expected, but I wasn't expecting the question. "It's not like that at all." I know I have to tell her the whole truth. I fight my anxiety and I confess my true feelings. "When we first met, I was drawn to you by the bond, I'll admit that. But we grew closer and things changed."

"What changed?" Belle interrupts me.

"I fell in love with you," I say as tears spring to my eyes. "You accepted me for who I am with no questions asked. You saved my life from The Dark One twice. You came face to face with the wolf and you didn't shudder at my paw. Seeing you smile makes my day, especially when I'm the cause of it. I feel comfortable and safe around you, like I've known you my whole life. I love your passion for books and adventure. You're smart and brave and beautiful, inside and out. I'm in love with you Belle and I'm certain that I still would be even if you weren't my mate."

The tears are pouring down my face and I hear Belle gasp. I look into her eyes, but I can't read her expression. We stand in awkward silence. Belle finally breaks the silence, "Thank you for being honest with me Rose."

She pushes past me and heads towards the door. "Where are you going?"

"I need to go home for a while," she says, "I need to see my father and I need time to process everything."

That she needs to get away from me is left unspoken. I can feel my heart break more with every step she takes. I know that being apart from her will feel like torture. Being away from a mate hurts physically as much as emotionally. Granny explained to me that once a wolf finds its mate, being away from them causes your entire body to ache and many wolves lose the will to live. She says it's even worse when a wolf loses their mate permanently, but I don't want to think about that. Even though we never sealed the bond, I'll still feel the effects of her being gone, though she won't feel anything. Still, I know nothing I say or do would convince her to stay.

She reaches the door and I stay frozen to the spot. I do nothing to stop her from leaving. All I manage to do is to choke out, "Goodbye Belle." I watch her as she leaves.


	7. Chapter 7

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> There is a trigger warning in this chapter for a brief discussion of a past incident of dubious consent.

Belle POV:

I let out a breath I didn't know I had been holding as I step out of the library. Though I had discovered Red's connection to me weeks ago, I never realized the depth of Red's feelings for me. Seeing the look in her eyes as she confessed her love for me convinced me that her words were genuine. Nobody had ever confessed their love for me like that before, not even the one who is supposed to be my true love. I almost wish that I could love her too. I would be happy with Red, she would make a good partner, but I can't force myself to love her.

The look of hurt in her eyes as I tell her I'm leaving stays with me as my footsteps echo off the stone hallway. I half expect her to chase after me as I leave, but I'm relieved that she doesn't.

Turning a corner, I spot Grumpy at the end of the hallway. He notices me and we meet each other halfway. "What's wrong?" He asks, noticing my glum expression.

Wiping a stray tear from my eye, I answer. "You were right...about Red."

To my surprise, Grumpy pulls me into a hug. "I'm sorry Belle, I wouldn't have mentioned it if I knew it would upset you."

"It's not that." I struggle to explain how I'm feeling, especially since I don't understand myself. I simply say, "I'm going back home. I need a little space. And I haven't seen my father since I left with Rumplestiltskin." I feel a little guilty about this. Even when I had the opportunity to see my father after Rumplestiltskin released me, I chose not to. I took my newfound freedom and set off on an adventure without caring if he missed me. My father and I usually don't see eye to eye, but all of this time apart has helped me realize that I miss him.

He smiles at me. "I understand, or at least I would if I had a place other than here to call home."

"Thank you for making me feel comfortable here," I say, "I'm going to miss you."

"As will I," Grumpy replies over my shoulder. He suddenly pulls away from me, looking as though he has just thought of something. "Wait here for a second."

He runs off, leaving me standing in the middle of the hallway. I pace nervously, wondering what Grumpy is doing. I luckily only have to wait a few minutes before he comes running up to me, clearly out of breath.

I notice that he is holding a small ring in his hands. It looks dull and ordinary, and I'm confused when he holds it out to me. Noticing my expression, he explains, "We found this ring during our fight with the Queen. It doesn't look like much, but it's magical. Dopey accidentally activated it and disappeared before our eyes. We found him wandering around the dwarf tavern after searching for three days." He laughs at the memory before saying, "Twirl this ring three times on your finger and think of a place. You will be taken to where you want."

I take the ring from him, turning it over in my hand. The metal feels cool against my skin. "Why are you giving this to me?"

Grumpy shrugs, "I figured if you want to meet for tea or something, you could save yourself the two day trip from your castle."

I can't help but smile at the gesture. "Thank you so much." I slip the ring onto my finger, making sure not to accidentally set off the magic. "Hopefully, I'll see you again soon."

"Hopefully," he replies, "Good luck with everything." We say our goodbyes before I walk away.

I walk outside, not bothering to pack. I came to this castle as a prisoner, with nothing besides the clothes on my back. None of my possessions are here, and I'm pretty sure taking anything home would count as stealing. I was planning to ask Snow if I could borrow a horse, but the ring on my finger makes that part easier.

I shiver as I step outside. Though the snow has long melted, there is still a chill in the air. I'm about to reach for the ring when I hear someone call my name behind me. I turn around to see Granny walking towards me, carrying a basket.

She reaches me and stops short. "I heard you were leaving and wanted to give you some things for the road." She hands me the basket and I take it from her. I glance at the contents and I see some food, a canteen of what I assume is water and inexplicably a small hand mirror.

"Thank you Granny," I say, "I appreciate it." Granny had been so kind to me during my time here that I sort of feel guilty about taking the basket from her after I had just broken her granddaughter's heart.

Granny seems to be able to read my mind and says, "I'm sorry that my idiot granddaughter didn't talk to you about the mate bond sooner. She really does care about you though."

Though I wish that Red had talked to me before I figured it out myself, I know she didn't want to complicate my life after what had happened with Rumplestiltskin. I know that she cares about me, but I still feel the need to leave. Spending another day with her, knowing that I can't be who she wants me to be makes my heart clench.

Granny unrolls her sleeve and I gasp at the huge scratches on her arm. "When I was younger, a wolf came into my family's barn and killed my family. I thought it was going to kill me too, but it simply scratched me. There was man that I was seeing at the time and it wasn't until we consummated our relationship that I found out that he was the wolf that had marked me. I was his mate and he turned me against my knowledge, never asked me if I wanted to be a wolf. I hated him and yet I was now bound to him due to the bond and the child in my womb. He was killed by hunters shortly after Red's mother was born and I hated how much pain I was in despite how glad I was that he was gone."

I can tell how painful this story is for her, and my heart breaks for her. Red had told me many stories about how tough her Granny was and for the first time I am seeing it with my own eyes. I admire her bravery for overcoming all of that. I try to put myself in her shoes and I shudder at the thought of being bonded like that to someone, never being given the choice to accept it myself. All of my life, I had choices made for me. The one choice I did make, to leave the castle with Rumplestiltskin to protect the kingdom, was a difficult one, but one that I still don't regret. I want to choose whom I end up with in the end, and I won't let true love or mate bonds or an arranged marriage make my decision for me.

Granny takes a deep breath and says, "I'm not telling you this for you to feel sorry for me or to make you feel guilty. I just want you to know that the bond is powerful, and that Red wouldn't want you to seal the bond unless you were absolutely sure that you wanted to."

I suppose I understand what Granny is trying to say, Red would never turn me against my will and would only mate with me if I wanted her to. I know all of this, I know that Red truly loves me. "I understand," I say, "But I'm not leaving entirely because of her."

"Good luck," Granny says, "I hope you find what you're looking for. If you ever find yourself wanting to come back, you will always be welcome to be our guest."

"Thank you," I smile, "Tell Snow and David that I appreciate their hospitality." I would tell them myself, but it's getting late and I want to leave before the sun officially goes down.

Granny nods, "I will."

"What's with the mirror?" I ask. I gesture to the mirror resting in the basket.

Picking it up in her hands, Granny says, "This isn't an ordinary mirror. It allows you to see what you want to see. Just tell it what you want to see and it'll show you."

I take the mirror from her and look at it. Much like the ring, the mirror doesn't look any different. "Show me my father," I say.

To my shock, the mirror dissolves to an image. My father is sitting in his study. He is wearing his usual scowl, but there is sadness in his eyes. He looks like a man with nothing left to lose. It's understandable since he lost his wife and his daughter. The last piece of my heart breaks as I look at him. I remember how easily Rumplestilstkin believed The Evil Queen when she had told him that I had died after leaving this castle. What if my father had spent all of this time thinking that I was dead or something else horrible had happened to me? I need to see him and tell him that I'm doing fine. I put the mirror back into the basket and look up at Granny. "Thank you for everything."

"It's a pleasure," Granny replies. She walks away and then stops. Turning around, she says, "I hope I see you again someday." She walks away, leaving me standing on the steps of the palace.

Remembering the look on my father's face, I hold up my hand and take the ring in my fingers, I turn it around three times, thinking of home, thinking of my father. I look up and find myself outside his study.

I knock and step inside the room. He looks up and his face turns white as though he's seen a ghost. "Belle?"

"Yes, father, I'm here." He looks at me in disbelief, but his face softens as he realizes that I'm really here.

He wraps his arms around me and I relax into his touch. Our relationship was strained when I left, but all of that tension is forgotten as we are reunited. I'm sure it won't be long before he urges me to speed up my wedding to Gaston, but for now I'm glad to be with him again, back in the home I've lived my entire life.

We pull away from each other and he asks, "How did you escape the Dark One?"

"It's a long story," I say. I don't want to divulge all of the details of my adventure to him, I'm not comfortable talking to him about any of it. I'm sure he wouldn't be happy that I fell in love with the man who imprisoned me, among other things. I simply tell him that I'm tired and bid him good night before I retire to my room.

My room hasn't changed since I left. Everything is in its rightful place. This room sometimes felt like a prison, but it was also a sanctuary at other times. Tonight it feels like a sanctuary again. I run my fingers along the spine of the book at my bedside that I was halfway through before I left. I let out a deep breath as I feel the stress leave my body. Even though I know it's only temporary, I feel content and carefree. For the first time in a long time, I am in the comfort of my own home.

I change into my nightgown and fall into the comfort of my bed. I fall asleep pretty easily, and my last thought of the day is of Red.

 

Red POV:

My tears stream down my face as I slump against the bookshelf in the library. I don't want to believe she's leaving. All I want if for her to come walking through the door, say that she's changed her mind and we can remain friends like nothing happened.

Soon after, I feel a throbbing pain all over my body and I know then that she's left the castle for good. I breathe in and the scent of the library hits my nostrils. She's spent so much time in here that it smells like her. She's the sweetest scent I have ever smelled, but it feels unbearable right now.

Before I can escape the library, Snow walks in. She sees me on the ground and she runs over to me. "Are you okay? Where's Belle?"

"I let her go," I say, not meeting her eyes. "I mean," I correct myself, "I didn't 'let her go', but I didn't try to stop her from leaving."

Snow is giving me a sympathetic look and she pulls me into a hug. "I'm so sorry, Red." She doesn't make the pain go away, but I feel better in her arms. Snow has been like family to me for so long and we've always had each other's backs. "Why didn't you stop her?"

"Because I'm in love with her," I confess. It's the second time I've said it today and it hurts just like the first. "It doesn't matter. She'll never see me as anything more than a friend."

"Don't think that," Snow says in an attempt to encourage me. "There's still hope, there's always hope."

I shake my head, "It's hopeless."

"How can you be so sure?"

I normally love and appreciate Snow's optimism about a lot of things, but right now it's irritating. I wriggle out of her grasp as I feel my anger rise, "How can you be so sure? Belle and I aren't like you and David. It's not falling in love on troll bridges and "I Will Always Find You" and true love's kisses. Just because you had no trouble finding love doesn't mean it's easy for the rest of us!"

"You think David and I never struggled?" I can tell that Snow is trying to remain calm. "Do you think King George and The Evil Queen trying to keep us apart was a cake walk? David and I fought for each other, we never gave up hope, even when there was little."

"Belle doesn't want me to fight for her," I shout back, "I'm not going to endlessly pursue someone who has made it clear that she doesn't want me in that way." I cross my arms as I let out a huff of frustration. Why doesn't she get it?

"All I'm saying is that you shouldn't give up hope," Snow said, "Did Belle ever say 'I'm not in love with you and I'm never going to be in love with you'?"

"Well no, but…"

"Then there's still hope."

"Not all of us have solutions to our problems handed to us on a silver platter," I snap at her. Her eyes narrow and I realize that I shouldn't have said it. "Shit, I'm sorry Snow. I didn't mean it like that."

Snow puts up her hand to stop me, "It's fine. You're obviously very upset right now. I'll just leave you alone." She steps out of the room leaving me standing there.

I now add guilt to the list of emotions that I'm currently feeling. A wave of anger overtakes me and I push over the bookshelf in a fit of rage. The shelf hits the floor with a thud and books go flying. It feels cathartic to knock it over, but it does nothing to loosen the tension in my chest.

Using my strength, I put the shelf back up and place the books back in their rightful place. Getting angry isn't going to bring Belle back. I see through the window that it's getting dark outside and I decide to try and get some sleep.

I get to my room and crawl into bed, not bothering to change into my sleeping clothes. I close my eyes, but my effort is futile. All I can think about is Belle. I think about her smile and her laugh. I think about her kindness and her bravery. Most of all I think about the look she gave me when she left. She's never looked that way at me before and it hurts as much as the pain that makes me feel like my entire body is on fire, a torture worse than anything devised by man.

The hours tick by and I realize that I will not fall asleep tonight, possibly ever again. I realize that I crave Belle's scent and I decide to go to it again. I crawl out of my bed and walk down to Belle's now vacated room. I climb into her bed and fall face first on her pillow. It still smells like her and I breathe in her scent. I lose track of how long as I lay there as I sob until the sun comes up.

I hear a knock at my door and I sit up. It's only Granny, carrying a tray with breakfast. "I'm not hungry," I say quickly.

Granny snorts, "Nonsense. You're starving." My stomach growls and I know that she's right, even if I don't want to admit it. Granny lays the food in front of me and I wolf it down. She sits on the edge of the bed and says calmly, "I know how you feel Red. It was a little different for me, but I know what it's like to lose your mate. I know you're in pain and you want the easy way out, but I'm not going to let that happen. We've had our differences in the past, but you're my granddaughter and I love you. I'm going to help you get through it, even if I have to make you eat and get out of bed."

Despite my current state, Granny's words get through to me. I sit up and hug Granny. I've lived with her for most of my life, but I've never felt closer to her than I have in this moment. I doubt anyone but Belle is going to make the pain go away, but I'm glad that I have people trying to be here for me, when everything is so hopeless.


	8. Chapter 8

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> There is a trigger warning on this chapter for blood, depiction of war, and stabbing of a major character.

Belle POV:

To my surprise, my father doesn't bring up Gaston for the next few weeks. He seems to want to enjoy my company now that I am back home, but it is still so odd. He had been so adamant about me marrying Gaston before I left with Rumplestiltskin, that not hearing or seeing from him is strange. His best friend, LeFou, is still around, but he seems incredibly distraught. The only conclusion that I can come to is that something bad has happened.

One morning after I finish breakfast, my father asks me to come with him to his throne room. I find LeFou sitting at the table already and I am confused as to why he is there. I take my seat next to him and my father sits down across from us.

He clears his throat and says, "Belle, the time has come for us to discuss your marriage arrangement." I internally shudder at this, but I try my best not to show it. I knew this discussion would eventually come, as I have been dreading it since I came home.

"Where is Gaston?" I ask. I have never been fond of the man, but I don't understand his absence.

"He's dead," my father tells me. I was expecting something along these lines, but it's still shocking to hear the words come out of my father's mouth. I'm numb to the news and am unable to react otherwise. My father continues his explanation. "He and LeFou went to rescue you from the Dark One's castle and LeFou witnessed the Dark One turning him into a rose."

I feel a wave of nausea at the news. I remember that day when someone knocked on the door. Rumplestiltskin went to answer it and came back with a single rose, which he gave to me. I admired the gesture. It was one of the first signs of his potential to be a good man. Now that I know that the rose was a living, breathing person, I feel sick. I remember how I snapped the stem when I put the rose in a vase. Had my actions killed him? Could I be considered a murderer? I feel my throat constrict as I struggle to breathe. I disliked Gaston. He was incredibly vain and selfish and I would never willingly choose to marry him, but I didn't want him to die, especially at my hands.

I glance over at LeFou who is talking about the incident. He is trying very hard not to cry in front of my father and me. I also recognize another expression on his face, one of longing. I see that same look on Red's face when she looks at me, my experience with her allowing me to recognize it. LeFou's feelings for Gaston seem to go far beyond simple friendship and admiration.

Sensing both sets of eyes on me, I look up to meet my father's. "I have decided that LeFou will take Gaston's place in the original arrangement."

I say nothing as anger builds up inside of me. I imagine myself yelling at my father, telling him that I am not a tool to be used for political gain. I will be Queen one day and I want to marry for love, not for strategy. Instead, I keep my mouth shut as I know my father will never listen to me. I look over at LeFou, who remains silent. I can tell that he doesn't want this marriage as much as I do, but he would never dare to stand up to my father.

Standing up my father says, "I'll leave you two alone." He leaves us, closing the door behind him.

I turn to face LeFou, "We need to stop this."

LeFou laughs, "You know there is nothing I can do."

"He'll listen to you more than he would to me," I plead.

He shakes his head and I use my newfound revelation to try to appeal to him, "Look, I know you don't want this either. I know you're not over him."

LeFou stiffens in response and I know that my suspicion is correct, "I don't know what you're talking about."

I take a deep breath, "I've learned to recognize love when I see it." I push thoughts of Red from my head. "I'm sorry for your loss, but you'll never be able to be happy and move on if you marry me." He glares at me in response. "Someday you'll find someone who will love you back, but that's never going to happen if you agree to go through with this wedding." I stand up and walk towards the door, knowing that there is no more that I can say, "Just think about it."

Having said all that I can, I head back to my room. Falling onto my bed, I stare up at the ceiling. For some reason, my mind drifts back to Red. It seems like I do that a lot lately. I wonder how she is doing, how she is dealing with her heartbreak. I hope Granny and Snow are helping her and that she is leaning on them for support. As I memorize the patterns on my ceiling, I make a wish that I don't have to go through with this wedding.

A couple of days later, my father barges into my room as I am reading. His face is red and his eyes flash with anger. "What did you say to him?"

"To whom?" I ask, slightly confused.

"LeFou," my father shouts as though this should be obvious. "He's called off the engagement and decided to go back home, spouting nonsense about marrying for love."

I try to hide my smile and relief from him, thrilled that my wish has come true. "Perhaps he came to that conclusion on his own."

My father laughs, "You think that LeFou, who spent his time following Gaston around and agreeing to everything he said, would come up with that on his own?" He points at me. "You gave him the idea, and now I have to fix your mistake. You will not leave this room until I find you another suitor." He storms out of the room, slamming the door behind him. I drop the book I am holding as tears spring to my eyes. No matter what I do, I always seem to end up trapped.

Hours, possibly only minutes, later, I hear the door open and I turn to see Fifi, my maid, enter carrying a feather duster. Fifi's mother had been my maid as a child, but Fifi took over when she passed away. She is only a couple of years older than me, and I consider her one of the only people I can confide in at the castle, especially since my mother died.

She notices my tear-stained face and comes over to me. "What's wrong?" She asks.

I tell her about my father's order and the arranged marriage and she looks at me curiously, "What's different this time?"

I gape at her, "What do you mean?"

"You didn't resist this much when you were arranged to marry Gaston, and you didn't want to marry him either."

When she puts it like that, I suppose that I have reacted to this arrangement differently than I did with Gaston. Though I didn't want to marry him, I agreed without much of a fight, resigned to my fate. I try to phrase how I feel in a way that Fifi will understand, "I know what it's like now to be in love."

Fifi's eyes widen and she exclaims excitedly, "tell me about him!"

I give her the highlights of my time in Rumplestiltskin's castle and the events that lead me from his castle. I tell her about my journey afterwards that lead me to Queen Snow's castle. As I talk, I relive every part of my journey in vivid detail. My emotions range from despair to anger to triumph. It is only now that I realize how much I went through and how much I have changed since I left this castle.

"If you love him, why did you come back here then?" Fifi asks me when I finish my story.

"I loved him," I clarify, "I realized that he was trying to hurt me and my friends and I ended things with him. Red saved me from him and I told him to leave." Before I can stop myself, I add, "Then I found out that Red is in love with me and that's when I decided to leave Snow's castle."

"Because you were scared that you were in love with him as well?"

"I don't love Rumplestiltskin anymore," I reiterated. I don't understand that she is talking about.

She shakes her head, "I'm not talking about him, I'm talking about Red."

My mouth drops open, and I quickly close it. Now I am even more confused. "What are you talking about?"

"Your expression changes when you talk about him," she says, "Your whole face lights up and flushes a little. Clearly you're in love with him."

I am floored by her explanation. "I'm not in love with Red," I say quickly. It takes a little time for my brain to catch up to the fact that Fifi thinks Red is a man. I almost correct her, but I decide not to. I know how people who love the same gender are viewed by my father and most of the people in our world, and I don't want Fifi to judge her on that count. I simply say, "Even if I was in love with Red, father wouldn't approve."

"And why is that?"

"He's a wolf," I say, "I am his mate. And he isn't nobility like Gaston and LeFou." 'He' is also a she, but I don't dare to say that. I feel a little guilty about not being honest, though I'm sure if it's for my sake or Red's sake.

Fifi's eyes widen, "A wolf, huh? That's exciting. Have you seen him as a wolf?"

I nod, remembering the first time I saw the wolf, "I have." I remember the feel of her fur through my fingers and how our eyes locked, as though we were seeing each other for the first time.

"How big are his paws?" She asks and I am unable to mask my confusion. "You know what they say about wolves with big paws," she elaborates.

My cheeks flush with embarrassment as I understand what she is implying, "They're big, but size doesn't matter." I don't want to think about Red's metaphorical size, even if she was a man. She smirks at me and I say, "None of it matters, because I am not in love with Red."

"Sure," she says, in a way that lets me know that she doesn't believe me. She heads to the door, "I'll leave you alone to dream about your handsome wolf savior who you are totally not in love with." She leaves me alone, her cleaning tasks forgotten. I stare at her dumbfounded as she closes the door behind her.

She's wrong. Red is kind, and loyal, and smart, and beautiful and everything I would want in a partner, but I don't love her. Yet, as I toss and turn in my bed that night, I don't understand why I can't stop thinking about her.

 

Red POV:

The days continue to pass in a slow, agonizing blur. It gets harder for me to get out of bed with each passing day. Belle's scent on her pillow fades a little more as time goes on, but I can't leave. The pain has become even more unbearable and if it wasn't for Granny, I would completely lose the will to live. She brings me food every day and I force myself to eat it, even though I don't feel hungry. I have slept very little since she left, only when Granny forces me to drink a sleeping potion. When I close my eyes all I see is Belle, which is not much different from my waking moments.

Granny forces me to go on a walk with her sometimes, but the fresh air feels suffocating and each step feels like bare feet on hot coals. I sometimes see Snow when I'm outside, but I continue to walk past her. We haven't spoken since our fight, but I've lost the motivation to try and fix things with her. I feel incredibly guilty about all of it, as Snow is my best friend, but the guilt feels miniscule compared to everything else. As soon as I go back inside, I fall into Belle's bed. Pulling the covers around my body, I grimace as I brace myself for another night of lonely agony.

The second wolfstime since Belle left approaches and Granny forces me to get out of bed and go for a walk. I follow behind her grimacing with each step. I normally love the outdoors and the fresh air, but now it feels suffocating. I want to turn back and go back to my bedroom, but I know Granny would stop me if I tried to leave.

We reach the top of a hill where we can see the nearby village. I expect to see the town completely deserted as the people close up shop for the night and settle into their homes around this time typically. Instead, we see chaos as a large group of people ride on horses through the village. They all seem to be heavily armed and I realize that they are an army. I look at their leader at the front and to my horror I recognize King George at the head. It seems that he has amassed an army and is leading them to war with Snow and David.

Granny and I look at each other. "Tell Snow and David," she instructs me, "I'll get the guards." She starts to hobble back to the castle, not able to move as quickly as she did in her youth. I'm in no position to run either, but I have to. Snow and David are my friends and I will not let the kingdom fall into George's hands.

I fight to ignore the pain throughout my body as I break into a run. I grimace with each step I take but I power through it. Slipping through the trees, my mind is set on getting to the castle.

Finally, I arrive back at the castle entrance. I run through the doors and up to Snow and David's room. They're standing over Emma's crib and they both turn to face me as I barge in. Emma starts crying at the intrusion and Snow shoots me a glare.

Struggling to catch my breath, I manage to get out my warning. "King George is coming. He has an army." Snow and David look at each other with concern. Charming strides out of the room and Snow calls for Doc.

"Thank you for warning us," Snow says as we wait for the dwarf.

"It's what friends do," I reply. We stand there awkwardly and I finally say the words I should have said weeks ago. "I'm sorry for what I said. It was really out of line."

To my surprise, Snow steps forward and envelops me into a hug. I won't admit it out loud, but I've missed her embrace and our friendship. "It's okay. You were upset and I know that you didn't mean it."

Doc comes in, breaking up our reunion. Snow instructs him to look after Emma and we leave the room. As we walk, Snow acts, "Will you be able to help us fight?"

I don't answer right away as I weigh my decision. My body is still in a lot of pain and I will be a lot slower than I usually am. Still, Snow is like family to me and I want to be there for her in her time of need. I pull my red cloak off and I feel the light of the full moon hit my body. "Let's do this."

The transformation into the wolf comes quickly and I fight the pain as I run out of the castle and onto the battlefield. George's army has arrived at the castle and front entrance grounds have turned into a battlefield. Charming is leading his guards into battle and swords clash all around me. The rest of the dwarves fight alongside the guards and I notice Granny off to the side, picking off enemy soldiers with her crossbow. There are a couple of bodies from both sides already lying on the ground, some wounded, some dead. Snow emerges from the castle, sword brandished, and jumps into the fray.

An enemy soldier attempts to sneak up on me and strike me down, but I hear him before he gets close. I turn to face him and lunge at him. My force pushes him to the ground as I pounce on him. I see the fear in his eyes as I bare my teeth. In a few seconds, I rip his throat out and I jump off the now dead body. I have never felt comfortable with killing people like that, but I do it to protect my family and friends.

I limp a little as I walk through the battlefield. Each step is difficult, but I fight my weakened state to help the others. A couple of enemy soldiers come after me, but I lunge at them, taking them out as I did the other.

The battle rages on and bodies are dropping. I see Happy's lifeless body a couple of feet away from me and my heart breaks for the other dwarves. Unable to move, I collapse to the ground. The pain was difficult before, but now it is unbearable. At this point, I debate never getting up again, allowing myself to rot on the ground. I don't care anymore if I live or die.

I hear a distressed cry a few feet over that I recognize as Snow's. Out of the corner of my eye, I see that Snow has tripped and is lying on the ground. King George stands over Snow, his sword raised to strike the final blow. The shine of the silver glints in the moonlight, both terrifying and tempting to me. Spurred into action, I force myself up and run towards Snow, jumping in front of the blade.

The poisonous silver pierces my side and the wolf howls in pain. I collapse onto the ground, unable to move. Snow uses my sacrifice to plunge her sword into King George's heart. Crying out in agony, he falls to the ground near me. He takes his last breath soon after and he is no longer a threat to the kingdom.

Snow rushes to my side as she sheaths her sword. I howl as the effects of the silver pulse through me. I thought the pain of the past few weeks was unbearable, but this is a whole new form of torture. Snow pulls my cloak out of her pocket and throws it over me. The magic courses over me and I return to my human form.

I wrap the cloak around me as I see my blood surround me. I hear David tell someone to bring me inside, but I can't focus. My vision is swimming in and out of focus. I can make out people standing over me, but I don't think of them as I bleed out. All I can think about is Belle.


	9. Chapter 9

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> There is a trigger warning on this chapter for blood and temporary character death.

Red POV:

There is chaos all around me as I feel several hands lift me off of the ground. I let out a groan of pain, closing my eyes to the world. I can feel the poison from the silver infect the blood in my veins. It feels like my flesh is on fire from head to toe and I am unable to fight back my wails of pain. All I can think is how much I want it to end, all of it.

I shift around uncomfortably as I am carried into the castle, the grip on me tight enough that I don't fall onto the floor. Though I refuse to open my eyes, I recognize the sounds of feet against stone. They carry me up the stairs and then take a turn, which indicates to me that they are taking me to my room or Belle's room. The door bangs as it is kicked open and a familiar scent reaches my nostrils. We are in the room that I've spent the last few weeks in, the place I've been slowly dying.

The people carrying me lay me down on Belle's bed and I am grateful for the soft mattress easing the strain on my back. I force my eyes open and I see Granny, Snow and a couple of Snow's guards moving frantically around me. Granny prepares a dose of medicine, which I recognize as the antidote to silver wounds that she has always carried with her. Her constant worry and overprotective nature has irritated me my entire life, but I am still thankful that she has the foresight to protect us. She hands me the tumbler and I clasp it in my hand. I put the cup to my lips and I force the medicine down my throat. It burns going down my throat, its foul taste tempting me to spit it out.

With a great amount of effort, I swallow the medicine. It takes effect immediately, taking away the poison. I gasp out a couple of breaths, feeling a small amount of my pain leaving. I place my hands to my wound and I find a large amount of blood pouring out. It coats my fingers, warm and sticky.

A couple moments pass and nothing happens. The wound is still fresh and the pain is still agonizing. My thoughts drift to Belle and I wonder if she is happy back at her castle. I imagine her sitting in her library, reading one of her books, biting her lip as she absorbed the information inside. I feel a searing jolt of pain and I cry out in agony. I miss her so much and she is never coming back.

"Why isn't she healing?" I hear Snow ask Granny above me. "The antidote worked, right?"

"It did," replied Granny, her face contorted into a sad grimace. "She isn't healing because she doesn't want to." I avoid looking at both of them, because I know that what Granny just said is true.

Snow begs me to keep fighting, to not give up. I only respond with agonizing screams. I've tried to hold on the past few weeks, but I can't do it anymore. I have lost my will to live.

The world around me starts to morph into nothing but white light. Tears fall from my face as I realize that this is truly the end for me. I don't know what to expect in the afterlife. I've thought about it many times, especially after Peter's death, but I'm sure that my imagination won't compare to reality.

My mind flashes to Peter, to my mother. I wonder how they are doing and what their life is like. Will I see them when I cross over? Will they forgive me for their deaths and welcome me with open arms? Or will they hate me for the rest of eternity? Will I even end up in the same place as them or instead go to a hellish place reserved for monsters like me? I guess I will find out soon enough as I feel my life slipping away.

I feel the pain of the mate bond lessen somewhat. That usually means that Belle is near, but I know that my body is playing tricks on me. Maybe it simply decided to show me mercy. Regardless, I know that it is almost time for me to go. I look up at my grandmother and my best friend, both who are fighting back tears. "Thank you for everything," I manage to get out, "I'm going to miss you."

"Don't talk like that," Snow shouts back at me. I wish that I knew how to comfort her, but any effort at this point would futile.

Shaking my head in response, I reply, "It's too late." I think of Belle's beautiful face and how much I love her. All I want for her is happiness and I hope she finds it after I'm gone. "Tell Belle…"

"Tell me what?" The world starts to swim back into focus. I can't believe that I hear Belle's voice, but I smell her scent. I look over at the doorframe and gasp. Sure enough, Belle is standing in front of me, looking as beautiful as ever. Her expression is a mix of worry, fear, and sadness.

Most of my pain evaporates at the sight of her, but I can't celebrate. I am overjoyed that the woman I love is here, that I am able to see her one last time before I die.

 

Belle POV:

It is my second day in captivity, broken up only by visits from Fifi as she brings me both food and company. I enjoy talking to her, though she keeps pressing the Red issue. At first, I thought that she was crazy. The fact that I dream of Red when I close my eyes has made me question everything. I use my alone time to dive into books that I haven't had the chance to read in years.

I go to get a book from my nightstand and I spot Granny's basket sitting on my dresser. I haven't really looked at it since I arrived home from Snow's castle. Walking over, the mirror glints in the sunlight from the window, tempting me.

Curiosity getting the better of me, I pick the mirror up and look into it. "Show me Rose," I command. As the mirror fulfills my request, I nearly drop it in shock. I don't know what I was expecting to see, but definitely not this. A full-scale battle has broken out at Snow's kingdom. I see Snow locked in heated combat with an older and sinister looking gentleman. He has his sword raised over Snow, who is lying on the ground. Just as he's about to strike, a beast, which I immediately recognize as Red's wolf jumps in front of the blade. The sword pierces her and she howls in pain.

The mirror shatters as it hits the ground. I clutch my chest where my pounding heart is as I fall to the ground. A few stray tears fall down my cheek as my heart aches for Red. I hope that she can recover and that her wound is less painful than it looks.

My mind flashes to the idea of her dead body lying on the battlefield and I shudder at the thought. I force myself to stand up. I need to see her. Before it's too late.

I pace back and forth wondering how I'm going to get out of the castle without my father noticing. I know I can trust Fifi to help, but I don't want her to get in trouble for this. As I wring my hands, my fingers brush the ring that I am wearing. It is the one that Grumpy gave me before I left, the one that can take me wherever I want to go. I can't believe I forgot about it.

Taking a deep breath, I twirl the ring on my finger. I focus on what I saw in the mirror, the place where Red was stabbed. After the third turn, I open my eyes to see myself standing in the exact spot. There is nothing but blood and bodies everywhere I look, but no Red. My eyes catch a trail of blood from where I'm standing that leads into the castle.

Having no other leads, I follow the trail inside and up to what was my former room. I see Granny and Snow huddled over the bed and I hear Red's voice, "Tell Belle…"

"Tell me what?" I ask. Everyone turns to face me. Snow is shocked, but Granny is giving me a knowing look. Red is shocked as well, but she is grimacing in pain.

"You came back," Red says as I walk towards the bed. Snow brings me over a chair and I sit down.

I look at her face. Though she isn't smiling, I can see in her eyes that she is happy to see me. "Of course I came back." My heart is pounding as I look at her. There is blood everywhere, but she still looks so beautiful. "If only I had gotten here sooner."

She avoids my eyes and I sense that she is on the verge of death. Even worse is that I can tell that she is resigned to her fate. "Maybe…maybe, it's better this way."

Tears start pouring at my face. I don't want her to die. I can't let her die. "Don't talk like that. You'll be alright. Everything's going to be fine, you'll see."

"At least…I got to see you…one last time." And with that, she closes her eyes and my heart shatters into a million pieces.

"No!" I cry out. "Please…please don't leave me." Over the last couple of weeks, I had felt that something was missing. It isn't until now that I realize that it was Red that I've been missing. I don't want to live without her, I don't ever want to live without her.

As Rose takes her last breath, I cry out the only words that make sense to me right now. "I love you."

Rose is motionless and I realize that it is too late. She is gone just as I realize that Fifi was right. I'm in love with her and now we'll never be together. I lay my face onto Red's chest as I sob. I feel nothing other than regret and grief.

I hear Granny and Snow gasp behind me and I lift my face up. Red's body is bathed in a light that obscures her from view. Slowly the light dissipates, leaving Red lying on the bed. She opens her eyes and looks up at me. "Belle," she says softly.

I gape at her in disbelief. How is she talking to me right now? She lifts her bloody hand and cups my cheek. "Belle, it's me."

It takes her smile and the feeling of her hand to realize that she is in fact alive and sitting right in front of me. I smile and thank whoever is responsible for this miracle. "It is you."

Red tries to sit up with great difficulty and I help her. We meet each other's eyes and look at each other. "Did you mean what you said?" Red asks as though expecting disappointment.

I pause for a moment to confirm my feelings. I look at her and I know for sure that I am in love with her. I smile at her, "Yes. I love you Rose."

We lean in to kiss each other at the same time. Her lips feel soft against mine and I smile as I deepen the kiss. I thought I would never have a kiss like the True Love's Kiss that I had once experienced again. That kiss was magical and powerful, but this kiss rivals it. What it lacks in magic, it makes up for in passion and intensity. It is magical in its own way.

We both pull away and Red smiles at me, the joy evident on her face and love clearly in her eyes. "I love you," she says.

"I love you too," I reaffirm for the both of us. I know without a doubt that I love her too. I don't know how I didn't see it earlier. Just a few moments ago, I thought that I lost her for good. I thought it was too late, but a miracle had given the both of us second chance. We have a new beginning and I plan to take full advantage of it.


	10. Chapter 10

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Despite canon events, Red Beauty is and will continue to be my OTP. Red Beauty means a lot to me personally and the fandom has been a source of comfort over the past few years. I have many stories I still want to tell for Ruby and Belle and I hope that I will continue to be able to write them. There is a Red Beauty Week event on Tumblr that will run from May 22 to May 28. The themes are listed on the redbeautyweek tumblr for anyone who is interested in participating. This chapter has NSFW content for anyone who needs a warning about that. Thanks to all of my readers for their patience as well as my beta for her support and guidance.

Red POV:

It takes a couple of weeks for me to readjust to the world of the living. After my unexpected revival, my wounds heal quickly. There is still a nasty scar on my abdomen where the sword pierced my skin. Granny tells me that scars from silver wounds never fade from wolves. I will always have the evidence of my near death etched on my skin for all to see. My pain is mostly gone now that Belle is back, but I still feel weak. I’ve tried to walk a couple of times without anyone’s help, but I end up falling down. Someone usually rushes to my side, whether it is Belle, Granny, Snow, or David, and helps me back into the bed.

Everyone takes their time to visit me and I am grateful for their company. Snow and David have thanked me for saving Snow’s life every time they’ve come to visit. Granny chastises me for being so reckless, but the spark in her eyes tells me that she is teasing me. I know she understands better than anyone else how I felt over the last few months. Belle has been there for me every day since she came back. She reads to me and we talk as we used to. However, everything has changed. As she reads, her hand slips into mine. Our kisses punctuate our conversations. I tell her that I love her, and she does the same for me. My smile widens every time I get to kiss her and tell her that I love her, like I have in so many of my dreams. 

I’m becoming addicted to the feeling of her soft lips on mine. There are times that we kiss each other like it’s the last time we will ever kiss each other again. She straddles me in bed and I feel the wolf start to get restless. Each time, I reluctantly pull away before we go any further. I know she isn’t ready to seal the bond and I don’t want to pressure her before she is ready. She seems disappointed when I pull away, but I tell her that I want woo her properly before we go any further in our courtship. She frowns at this, but she says that she understands. She says goodnight and we exchange I love yous before she leaves.

I am incredibly relieved when I am finally able to get out of bed and walk around the castle on my own. My first instinct is to go to the library to find Belle, but I decide to talk to Snow first. I go down to the kitchen and find Snow and Granny sitting at the table. They turn around as I walk in and Snow runs over. She carefully wraps her arms around me, as though she is afraid that I will shatter in her embrace.

“How are you?” she asks when she finally pulls away.

“Better,” I reply. Snow walks back to the table and I follow her, sitting at an empty seat next to her.

Granny puts lunch in front of me. I am so hungry that I start to wolf it down. “How’s Belle?” Granny asks as I finish cleaning the plate.

“She’s great,” I reply, wiping my mouth with a napkin. I look between the two of them, “I want to do something for her, but what?”

“Well, there’s the usual,” Granny says darkly, “Flowers, chocolates, promises you don’t intend to keep.”

I shake my head at the suggestion, “I intend to keep my promises to her.” Now that I know what it’s like to be with Belle, I never want to lose her again.

“I know,” Granny replies, “It was joke.”

“Perhaps you should have a romantic evening,” Snow suggests, “A candlelit dinner…and some dancing.”

I take a moment to consider it. “That sounds great.” It sounds incredibly romantic and Belle would probably enjoy it. There is only one problem. “But I don’t know how to dance.”

Snow stands up excitedly. “I can teach you!”

“I would really appreciate it,” I reply, “Can we start tomorrow?”

She agrees and I say goodbye to them. I run up the stairs to the library. I see Belle sitting in her chair, reading a heavy book. Her scent reaches my nose, and I breathe it in. She looks up and sees me. Putting the book down, she runs to me. “You’re walking!”

As she reaches me I pull her into a hug. I lean in and close the space between our lips. She smiles at me as we pull away and I fall in love with her all over again. Taking a deep breath, I say, “Belle.” Her eyes meet mine and my heart pounds in my chest. “I was wondering if you would do the honor of joining me for dinner four evenings from now.”

Belle smiles, “I would love to.” She pauses before asking, “I suppose this is your first step in ‘wooing me properly’ as you call it?”

I grin, “It is.”

She leans in and kisses me again, “I look forward to it.” 

I spend the evening sitting in the chair opposite of hers, listening to her read. The words wash over me as I cherish the comfort of her voice. I know in my heart, that this is where I’m meant to be.

The next morning, my days are split between library time with Belle and dance lessons with Snow. I find pretty quickly that dancing doesn’t come naturally to me, and I step on Snow’s feet three times on the first day. Though I am quickly getting frustrated, I am determined to keep going. I want everything to be perfect for Belle and I will do everything in my power to make sure it is. Luckily, it gets easier over the next few days. I feel comfortable in a basic waltz, but not enough for the more advanced techniques. 

When the evening of our date arrives, my nerves begin to act up. “What if she doesn’t like it?” I ask worriedly to Snow as she helps me get ready.

“Relax,” Snow reassures me as she finishes up my hair. “She’ll love it.” She holds up a mirror and I take it. “What do you think?”

I look in the mirror and I find that my hair has been pulled into an updo that I’ve seen Snow wear several times before. On her it looks great, but on me it looks like a nest for Snow’s bird friends to live in. “Stupid,” I say.

She studies it and says, “You’re right. Let’s try wearing it down instead.” She pulls the ties out and my freshly washed hair falls around my face. Picking up a comb, she runs it through my hair until it is neatly straightened. When she is finished with her work, she hands me the mirror. “How about this?”

I look in the mirror and say, “Better.” I stand up to get the whole picture of my appearance. I am wearing a long black skirt with a blue jacket with golden trimmings over a white shirt. While I would normally wear red, Snow advised me on this outfit so that I would better match Belle’s dress, which she had sent Grumpy yesterday to find out the color of. She wouldn’t tell me what it was, saying that I should be surprised.

Taking a couple of deep breaths to calm my nerves. I grab the bouquet of roses I collected out of the garden for Belle. I make my way to her door and quickly knock on the door. It swings open and I nearly stop breathing. Belle is standing before me wearing a stunning golden dress that goes all the way down to the floor. Her hair is up in a ponytail and she is wearing earrings that match her dress. Her gorgeous face finishes her breathtaking appearance.

We stand there for a few moments taking each other in. “You look amazing,”

She beams at me. “Thank you. As do you.”

I remember that the flowers are in my hand and I hand them to her, “These are for you.”

“My favorite,” Belle exclaims, taking the roses from me. “Thank you Rose.” She pecks me on the lips. After rushing back inside to put the roses down, she comes back out. I hold out my hand and she slips her own in mine. We walk through the hallways and I lead her down the stairs to the dining room.

I push open the door and Belle gasps at the sight. In the middle of the dining room is a small table set for the two of us. A bright candle sits in the middle of the table between plates of food. I lead her to the table and I pull her chair out for her. She thanks me and sits down as I sit across from her. “It looks amazing,” she exclaims.

“I’m glad you like it,” I grin at her, “I love you.”

“I love you too,” she replies and my heart swells at the admission. I’ve heard her say it many times over the past few weeks, but I’ll never tire of hearing it. 

My stomach growls and I start to eat. There is a mysterious grey substance on my plate that looks like a paste of some sort. I take my fork and I taste it. I can’t figure out what it is, but it tastes delicious. “Try the grey stuff,” I say to Belle.

She tastes it and says, “It’s delicious.” We spend the meal talking between bites as we would on a normal day in the library. The food is delicious and Belle seems to be enjoying herself. I have a lot of people to thank for this evening.

As we finish with dessert, I gesture to a dwarf who is waiting for my signal. A group of men with instruments comes into the room. They settle at the edge of the hall. Belle is surprised to see them and even more surprised that they start playing a beautiful melody.

Standing up, I walk over to Belle’s side and hold my hand out. “May I have this dance?”

She blushes and says, “Absolutely,” before taking my hand. I lead her out the dance floor and I put my other hand on her shoulder as she does on mine. I lead her in a waltz, trying to remember the choreography and not step on her feet. Belle is a natural at it, which makes sense since I know that she’s had years of lessons in her kingdom. We move around the floor, catching each other’s eyes several times. “Where did you learn to dance?” She asks me mid song.

“Snow’s been teaching me the past few days,” I confess to her.

“You’re a good dancer,” she says.

I can’t contain my blush. The song soon comes to an end and I bow to Belle. “Thank you.”

“It’s been a pleasure,” says Belle. I nod at the musicians and they start to pack up their instruments. Taking Belle’s hand, I lead her outside onto a balcony. We sit down and she shivers at the cold breeze. I pull my jacket off and hand it to her. She eagerly wraps it around her body. “Thank you for an amazing evening.”

“I’m glad you enjoyed it. I was very worried that something would go wrong.” 

“You have nothing to worry about,” said Belle, “this evening was perfect.” I let out a sigh of relief. She pulls me into a passionate kiss and my hand slips behind her head, gently pulling her closer. Belle pulls away and says, “I want to go inside.”

“Are you cold?” I ask.

She shakes her head, “No, it’s not that.” As she sees my confused expression, she explains, “I want to go back to my room. I want to…if you want to.”

My mouth nearly drops open. I didn’t think I would hear Belle say that, especially not tonight. “What about me wooing you?”

She gestured back toward the hall where we had just danced. “Consider me wooed.”

“Once the bond is sealed, it is unbreakable,” I tell her. I desperately want to mate with her, but I want her to be completely sure before we take that step.

She nods, “I know, I’ve been doing a lot of research in my free time. I know what comes with it and I want it, all of it.” She takes a deep breath and says, “I want you to turn me as well.”

It takes a moment for me to process what she is saying. Once my brain catches up, my heart pounds with nerves. “Are you sure? Books don’t always provide the most helpful information about it.”

“I know,” she replies, “I talked to Granny about it as well.” 

My face flushes with embarrassment. “You talked to Granny about our potential sex life?”

“She was in a similar situation as me many years ago,” she explains, “I figured she would be the best person to talk to.”

I still feel embarrassed, but Belle’s logic makes sense. Belle seems to sense my worry and says, “When I saw you die in front of me, it opened my eyes. It made me realize that I want to be with you and I want to be with you in every possible way.”

Her eyes meet mine and I see the love in them, the sincerity. She has made her decision and I respect it. My wolf is howling at the prospect of mating with her and I know how much I want this too. I kiss her again and I say, “I want to be with you too.” I take her hand and lead her inside and to her bedroom. I try to steady my breathing in excitement and nervousness of what we are about to do.

 

Belle POV:

My heart pounds with anticipation as we walk back to my room. I have no doubt that I want to do this, but I am incredibly nervous. This is the first time that I will be intimate with another person, that I will be naked and exposed in front of them. We pass by stained glass panels that Red showed me on my first day at the castle. Since the first day, I’ve been transfixed by the one of the two wolves sitting side by side. At first, I didn’t understand why I was drawn to that image. After everything Red and I have been through, I understand that it was telling me my destiny.

We reach the door of Red’s room and she opens the door for me. I step inside and Red follows, closing the door behind her. We look at each other and I can tell that we are both nervous. “Have you done this before?” I blurt out. 

“Mated?” Red asks. “You’re the only one for me.”

“I know,” I clarify, “I meant did you and Peter ever…?”

She shakes her head. “Never. And you?”

I shake my head, “Same.” I lightly kick my shoes off and she does the same. I reach up to stroke her cheek and stretch on the tip of my toes to kiss her lips. She deepens the kiss and we stay like that for several moments. 

Pulling away, I reach behind me for the zip of my dress. I try to pull it down, but it turns out to be more difficult than I expected. Red notices and reaches out to clasp the zipper. She slowly pulls it down to the bottom. I steady my breathing as I pull the straps off my shoulders and down my body. It falls at my feet and I instinctively cross my arms to cover myself. Glancing at Red, I see she is watching me with fervent adoration. I start to feel comfortable and I remove my arms from my chest. I untie my corset and lightly toss it to the side. Looking back at Red, I see that she looks at me hungrily and I feel a gush of arousal. I know she can smell it after she licks her lips.

Walking over to her, I reach for the bottom of her shirt. She tenses and I look up at her. My confusion goes away when I remember what she mentioned about her scar. “It’s okay,” I whisper to her, “Let me see it.”

She helps me pull her shirt off and I gasp when I see the scar. It is every bit hideous as described. She starts to pull away upon seeing my reaction, but I reach out to stop her. Carefully, I run my fingers over the scar, feeling it. It is a reminder of how she nearly died in front of me, but I still love it. “Don’t hide it from me,” I tell her, “I love all of you, even the parts that are considered ugly.”

She responds by pulling me into a searing kiss and I loop my hands behind her back. The rest of our clothes are pulled off in a hurry as we expose ourselves completely to each other. We stop to take a moment to take each other in. She looks alluring in her naked form and a thrill shoots up my spine at the realization that I will be the only one to see her like this. She looks at me like I’m the most beautiful thing she has ever seen. I’ve never felt more loved in this moment. I take her hand in mine and lead her to the bed.

I crawl to the middle of the bed and she climbs on top of me. Our lips meet again and I run my hands down her back. She suddenly pulls away and I groan at the loss of contact. “Are you sure about this?” She asks one more time.

Though I’m touched by her sincerity, I’m too frustrated. I grab her hand and pull it downwards. I run her fingers through my folds, where my arousal has been building. Her eyes darken with lust and she uses her fingers to press down on my clit. I let out a moan as my hips buck up.

After a quick kiss, she starts to kiss down my body. I use my thighs to stop her and she looks up at me. “I want to taste you,” she explains.”

I smile down at her, “And you’ll have many opportunities to.” I gesture to my lips, “I need you up here tonight.”

She moves back up to body until we are face to face. She recaptures my lips as her fingers resume their ministrations on my clit. Her other hand clasps my breast and her fingers stroke my hardened nipple. I moan her name between kisses. Everything feels so good and I don’t want it to end. She moves her finger towards my entrance and looks up at me. I nod my consent and she slowly slides into me. I gasp at the uncomfortable intrusion and we look at each other as my walls adjust. Once I feel comfortable, I nod and Rose starts to thrust her finger inside. My moans start to increase in volume as she adds a second finger.

Realizing that I’m not doing anything with my hands, I slip my hand down to her folds. She’s already wet. I gently take her clit in my fingers and I stroke it. Hearing her moans above me spurs me on and our lips meet in a desperate, passionate kiss. 

I feel myself getting closer and I know that Rose can tell. She moves her mouth down to my collarbone and looks up at me. Her eyes flash gold and her teeth elongate. She quickly bites down and keeps her teeth there. It puts me over the edge and I scream her name as I feel us come together.

She pulls her teeth out of my collarbone. We both try to catch our breath as we look into each other’s eyes. I can feel my soul fusing to hers and I know that the bond has been sealed. It’s hard to tell where she ends and I begin, I’ve never felt closer to another person. Our eyes lock and I feel her love for me coursing through my veins, along with her joy and contentment. The look on her face tells me that she can feel it too. “That,” I pant out, “Was incredible.”

She pulls her fingers out of me and brings them to her mouth. She moans at the taste of me and it brings a new wave of arousal. “It was,” she says. We kiss again and she says, “I love you so much.” 

I grin, “I love you too.” I feel another sensation run through me and I know that the wolf bite is starting to take effect. It feels strange but pleasant. The idea of being a wolf is exciting. I’m a little nervous about my first change, but I feel much more comfortable that my mate will be by my side to help me. She’ll always be by my side, and I’m excited about the new chapter in our lives. “I’m yours forever.”

Before she can respond, I flip our positions. Pinning her down, I kiss her again. I’m more than ready for the long night ahead.


	11. Chapter 11

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Thank you for your patience. Thank you also to my beta for her help with this chapter.

Belle POV:

The birds' chirping rings in my ears as though they are right next to me. I stir awake, snuggling into the comfortable warmth that surrounds me. As I become more alert, I realize that the warmth is coming from Red, whose arms are wrapped around me. I can't help but smile at the feel of her naked body against mine and the memories of our love making into the night. I snuggle into her, feeling our bond course through my veins. I have never been closer to another person and I shudder with excitement and anticipation.

I lay next to my mate in silence, savoring the moments. The chirping of the birds still rings in my ears. I hear the footsteps of someone walking by the room, a sound I rarely heard before. I realize with a jolt that my senses are starting to enhance. The wolf is starting to manifest in me and will become a part of me by the next wolfstime. A thrill shoots down my spine at the idea.

I feel Rose stir awake next to me. "Good morning," I say softly. Her hair is disheveled and the slight bags under her eyes are evidence of how little we slept last night, but she still manages to look gorgeous.

"Morning," she replies sleepily. She yawns and asks, "How are you feeling?"

I yawn before replying, "Tired, but amazing." 

She smiles at my answer, but her expression turns serious quickly. "Any regrets?" 

I lean forward and kiss her lips. "None," I reassure her. I love her so much that I don't know how I didn't realize how I felt sooner.

Her face lights up and I can tell that this is the happiest she’s been in a long time. I feel a sense of pride that I’m the one to make her feel this way. That I’m the one she loves. I take a deep breath and her enticing scent overwhelms my senses.

My stomach growls and I realize how hungry I am. I peck her lips before untangling myself from her. She groans from the loss of contact, but she soon forces herself out of bed, and starts putting on her clothes from the previous night. I put on a fresh set of clothes from the wardrobe and comb my hair.

As soon as we are presentable, I take her hand in mine as we make our way down to the kitchen. Before we reach the kitchen, the scent of delicious food wafts through my nostrils. My sense of smell is stronger than it has ever been.

We are greeted by Snow and David, the six remaining dwarfs, and Granny, who are all sitting around the table. They turn to look at us as we walk in and Granny smirks at Red upon seeing her in last night’s clothes. “I take it the date went well,” she says and I look down at my feet as a blush creeps onto my face. The rest don't hesitate in asking us questions about last night. I can't help but gush about our romantic evening, leaving the details of the events after our dance out of my story.

Soon, breakfast is done and Red and I head up to the library. I choose a book from the pile of books where I stacked all of the books I want to read. Red listens intently as I read to her. The rest of the day goes by our normal routine, but the night ends with us back in my bed.

Our bond strengthens over the next few days, allowing me to know how Red is feeling at all times and the same for her as well. It's a little scary to feel that close to another person, but overall I enjoy it. I also feel my senses continue to enhance. My body feels strange as I feel my wolf side start to take shape inside of me.

The week before wolfstime is when I truly feel the wolf fighting to break free. I start to feel restless and I know that Red feels the same way. Our need to touch each other overtakes everything else and I spend most of the week entwined with her. We try to maintain a normal routine but it's not long before we're in bed together fucking each other like our life depends on it. Sometimes we don't make it to a bed as we use the castle's numerous surfaces. 

The night of the full moon arrives faster than I thought it would. My body shakes with nerves as I follow Red deep into the woods, her magic cloak draped around my shoulders. Rose senses my nerves and clasps her hand in mine. "It's going to be okay," she reassures me.

"Is it going to hurt?" My voice trembles.

She nods, "A little. Since it's your first change and you didn't grow up with the wolf." She squeezes my hand, "After the first time it will become second nature to you."

I am calmed by her words, but the pounding in my chest overwhelms my senses. "W-Will I be in control?"

"Not at first," Rose admits, "But I'll be by your side every step of the way to teach you." She senses my trepidation. "Do you trust me?"

I look into her eyes and nod, "Absolutely." After a couple of deep breaths, I feel my heart rate return to normal.

We step into clearing of Red's favorite spot. The light of the full moon hits me and I feel the wolf's restlessness. I carefully pull off the cloak and hand it to Red.

The change begins instantly as soon as the cloak is off. I feel a sharp pain ripple through my body as I feel my bones start to contort. I scream and curse as I fight the excruciating pain. 

"Don't fight it," Rose murmurs behind me, "It'll be over much sooner." It's easy for her to say. She's never had a transition like this, the wolf had always been a part of her. "It'll be over soon Belle."

I try to ignore the pain as I fall to the ground. Writhing, I feel the beast start to overtake me. I follow Red's advice and try to relax. It seems to do the trick as I feel the transformation complete.

Gingerly, I stand up and realize that I'm now standing on four legs instead of two. I see Red standing in front of me and the wolf starts to move toward her. The wolf wants to mate and I am helpless to stop it.

Red sees my struggle and pleads, "Belle, you need to learn to control the wolf. Use my voice as an anchor."

My wolf continues its approach but I start to fight it. We are locked in a heated struggle, but I slowly start to win as I focus on the sound of my mate's voice. Soon I am able to win and the wolf settles down.

Red pulls the cloak off and transforms into the wolf. We sit in the clearing, taking each other in as the night moves around us. I take a couple of tentative steps toward her. She closes the gap and our wolves nuzzle each other.

Soon, she pulls away and gestures to the lake. I follow her and look down at my reflection. The face of a light brown wolf stares back at me. The difference in my reflection is a little jarring at first, but the familiar sight of my bright blue eyes helps me accept it. Red steps next to me and nuzzles me as her wolf's way of saying, "You're beautiful."

She begins to run through the woods and I chase her. I dodge several trees as I run, my speed increasing. I feel the wind whip through my fur, and I feel truly alive as the adrenaline pumps through me. Soon, I catch up to Red and we run together.

We reach the top of a hill and I look down at the sleeping town below. The brightness of the full moon shines down on us and I feel myself drawn to it. Red starts howling at the moon and I follow purely by instinct. We spend the evening running through the forest together. The sensation of being a wolf is strange, but it feels right. I know that I have a lot to learn about the wolf and how to control it, but I’m excited by the prospect. 

As the sun starts to emerge, I feel myself transform back into a human. I am surprised that despite my transformation, my clothes are as they were before the transformation. I look over at Red who is smiling at me. “How was it?”

I try to find a word best to describe how I’m feeling. I finally settle on, “Liberating.” I’ve never felt freer than last night as I ran through the forest with my mate by my side.

“I’m glad,” Red says, “I was worried that you wouldn’t like it.”

I respond by kissing her, “I loved it.” I kiss her again. “I love you.”

She kisses me back, “I love you too.” Her fingers lace in mine and I grin at how perfectly they fit together. “I always will.” The admission makes my heart swell.

We walk back up to the castle, both exhausted by our run. We crash on my bed, our arms wrapped around each other as we drift into a peaceful sleep.

 

Red POV:

By the next wolfstime, Belle gets a good handle on controlling the wolf. We run together every night and for the first time, I truly love being the wolf. She seems to like it as well and I fall in love with her a little more every day.

As morning comes at the end of our second wolfstime together, I slowly untangle myself from Belle. She sleepily tries to pull me in closer and I reluctantly untangle myself from her. I get dressed and sneak down the hall to the library. I look though the shelves, trying to find the book that I need. A couple of rows back I find the copy of “The Knight’s Rescue” resting on the shelf. It was the first book Belle had ever read to me, her favorite book.

I sit down and flip to the end of the book. I read and reread the passage where the knight proposes to his princess, determined to memorize the speech the knight gives as he gets down on one knee. The speech is very wordy, but I keep reading it until the words are burned into my memory.

Belle comes into the library and I shut the book quickly. “Morning,” I say quickly.

She looks at me curiously, “Doing some reading of your own?” I nod and hold up the book. Her eyes light up, “I love that one.”

“Me too,” I say, “I loved when you read it to me on your first day here.”

She smiles fondly at the memory. “We’ve come a long way since then, haven’t we?”

“We have,” I nod in agreement. I put down the book on the table, “Care to join me for breakfast?”

She nods and we head down to the kitchen. After breakfast, I say goodbye to her with a kiss in front of the library and head down to see Granny. She is busy knitting a sweater for Emma, but she smiles as I come into the room. “Red, nice to see you separate yourself from Belle for a minute.”

“Sorry, Granny,” my face flushes. “I’m actually here about Belle though.”

“What’s wrong?”

I shake my head, “Nothing’s wrong. I’m thinking of asking her to marry me.”

Granny grins, “I was wondering when you would ask. I like Belle, I look forward to having her as a granddaughter-in-law.”

“I’m glad you approve,” I say, “But I don’t know if she’ll say yes.”

“She will,” Granny says confidently. She walks over to her dresser and pulls a small ring. A medium-sized diamond sits on the center of the ring, the band set with little rubies. It was Granny’s mother’s ring, and she kept it after all of these years. It was one of the few things she had to remember her by. She holds out the ring to me, “I want you to have this.”

I shake my head, “It’s your mother’s. I can’t take it from you.”

She pushes it towards me. “Take it. It’ll look better on Belle’s finger than collecting dust in my dresser.”

Carefully, I take the ring from her. My heart beats with nervousness and excitement at the thought of my proposal. “Thank you, Granny.”

Granny smiles, “Good luck Red.” We hug before I leave her to her knitting.

I go to see Snow next. She is in the nursery where Emma is crawling around on the floor and saying the word, “Swan,” over and over again. Emma speaking is a new development. Snow barged into the library a couple of days ago while Belle and I were having tea, excited about how their daughter had finally said her first word a couple of days ago. I know Snow is a little disappointed that Emma’s first word isn’t “Mom,” but “Swan” isn’t a bad first word.

Upon seeing me, Snow picks up Emma and puts her in her crib. “Hello Red,” she smiles as Emma starts hugging her toy swan, “How are you? How’s Belle?”

“She’s good,” I say. Cutting to the chase, I say, “I need your help.” I take a deep breath. “I want to propose to Belle.”

Snow starts to shriek, and wraps her arms around me. Emma starts crying at the noise and Snow picks her up to calm her down. Soon Emma calms down again, and Snow puts her back in her crib. We step outside and walk to the courtyard. “I’m so happy for you.”

“I haven’t even asked her yet,” I point out.

“She’s going to say yes. I know she will,” Snow replied, “What do you need?”

“I need you to tell Belle to come to our spot by the river,” I say, “Also, a suit of armor.” Snow looks at me in confusion and I explain my plan to recreate the proposal from Belle’s favorite book.

As I finish explaining the details of the proposal, Snow says, “All of that and you doubt whether she’s going to say yes.”

“It’s not just the proposal I’m worried about,” I explain, “It’s the fairies.” One of the fairies’ main responsibilities is to bless the marriage with fairy magic to validate the marriage. The fairies have never blessed a wedding between two partners of the same sex. Belle and I are technically married in the eyes of nature by our mate bond, but I know how important the idea of marriage and having a wedding is to her. We’ve talked about it a couple of times over the past couple of months. There’s also the issue of Belle’s father, but I don’t know how to solve that problem yet.

Snow’s eyes narrow, “I see your point.” She pauses to think. “I can summon the fairies here and we can try to reason with them, see if they we can change their mind on their archaic views of sexuality.”

“Thank you,” I say before hugging her, “Your support means a lot.”

“Can I see the ring?” Snow asks.

I reach into my pocket and pull the ring out of my pocket. “It’s beautiful,” Snow squeals.

“Thank you,” I say, “I plan to propose to her tomorrow morning.”

“I’ll have David bring the suit of armor to your room tomorrow and I’ll tell Belle to meet you at your spot when you’re ready.”

I pull Snow into a hug, “Thank you.”

The next morning, I feel myself shaking as I wake up and get dressed. Belle asks me what’s wrong, but I say that I’m fine. I’m too nervous to eat, so I tell Belle to go ahead without me. I go into my old room, the one I haven’t slept in for months, and find a suit of armor lying on the bed. I attempt to put on the armor, having to take it off and put it back on a few times to get all of the pieces in the right place. I leave the headpiece on the bed, as I feel that I do not need it.

When I am satisfied with it, I walk downstairs, making sure Belle does not spot me. I pass by Snow, and she gives me an encouraging smile. I make my way to the clearing and sit down on the rock. I pull the ring out and admire it in my hand as it glimmers in the sunlight. The suit of armor is hot and heavy and I feel myself sweating like crazy.

I hear footsteps and I look up to see Belle step into the clearing. She gasps as she sees me and I stand up. Walking up to her, I take her hand in mind. “Fair maiden,” I say as I try to recite the speech from memory, “In all of my years of living, I have never found anyone I have loved as much as I love you.”

I struggle to get down on one knee, as the armor restricts my movement. When I am comfortably on my knee, I pull out the ring and look up at her. She is smiling, but her eyes lack the sense of surprise that I was hoping for. “You don’t seem surprised,” I say.

Her face falls at my disappointment, “I might have pressed Snow too hard when she asked me to come here and meet you and she told me you were going to propose.”

I sigh in frustration, “That woman can’t keep a secret.”

“I’m sorry,” Belle says, “If it makes you feel any better, she didn’t tell me any of the details.”

I take a deep breath and continue, “Princess Belle, it would be the greatest honor if you would…”

Before I can finish my speech, Belle interrupts me excitedly, “Yes. Yes, I will marry you!” She realizes that she has interrupted me and says, “I’m sorry. You can continue.”

Holding out the ring, I finish my speech, “It would be the greatest honor if you would allow me to marry you. Will you, Princess Belle, marry me?”

“Yes,” Belle says again. She helps me stand up and I slip the ring onto her finger. She admires it and smiles up at me. “I will marry you.”

My heart swells at the realization that Belle has said yes to my proposal. I wrap my arms around her and pull her in for a kiss. She puts her hand on my cheek and we kiss as the sun shines down on us. She says, “I love you, Rose,” and I tell her that I love her back.

Our moment is interrupted by a shout and a rock whizzing by my head. Belle and I dodge the rock and I turn to face the man who threw it. He is a short, richly dressed man who has an expression that can only be classified as murderous. I turn to look at Belle, who has gone pale at the sight of him. She finally manages to get out, “F-Father?” I turn to look back at the man, scared for both my life and my relationship with Belle.


	12. Chapter 12

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Thanks for all of your kudos on the last chapter. Your support of this story means a lot to me and thank you for continuing to read it. Thanks again to my beta for her help with this chapter. Also, there is a warning in this chapter for homophobic language and smut. Thanks for reading and I hope you enjoy the chapter!

Belle POV:

It all happens so quickly that I have barely have time to process it. One minute I’m accepting Red’s proposal, the next minute I’m dodging a rock and find myself face to face with my father. I haven’t thought much about him since I left the castle, and I feel guilty about not contacting him. However, I have trouble breathing as I meet his glare and my fear of him keeps me rooted to the spot.

He looks between Red and I and clutches his chest where his heart is. “Get away from my daughter,” he threatens. He advances toward Red and she backs away in fear. 

Gathering my courage, I step in front of Red. My father shifts his glare to me and I stare back with a cold expression of my own. I turn to Red and give her a small smile. “Give us a minute,” I tell her. She complies, leaving me alone with my father. I look around. I don’t see any of his guards or servants, but knowing my father they are nearby.

“Do you know how worried I was?” My father asks. “When you disappeared without warning?”

“I’m sorry,” I say, “I should have let you know that I was alright.”

He responds by laughing, “You are far from alright, Belle. I finally find you and find you gallivanting with a peasant woman.”

“There’s nothing wrong with that,” I try to stand my ground and mask my fear of my father. “I’m in love with her.”

My father clenches his teeth, “You can’t love her.”

“Why not?” I try to remain calm.

“Well for one, she’s a she,” he says, “And secondly, she is not nobility.”

I shake as I try to contain my anger, “I don’t care what her status or her gender is. I fell in love with her heart and she fell in love with mine as well.” 

“What about children?” My father asks. “How will the kingdom get its heirs?”

I barely think before I give my answer, “We’ll adopt a couple of orphans and raise them and love them as if they were our own.”

He shakes his head, “And how will your husband feel about that?”

“I don’t have a husband,” I retort. I hold up my finger where Red’s ring sits on my finger. “She proposed to me and we’re getting married.”

“I forbid it,” my father yells. I can tell this conversation is giving him a great deal of pain, but I’m too angry to care.

“No one decides my fate but me,” I yell back. I feel the wolf fighting to burst out, but I manage to keep it under control. My father looks at me in utter horror and I know he saw the flash of my eyes.

“You’re a monster,” he says, backing away from me. My heart clenches at the look of revulsion on his face.

“Beast,” I say softly.

He takes one last look at me and says, “You’re not my daughter any longer.”

I fight tears as he walks away. I don’t regret my choice to be with Red or to become a wolf, but I feel bad about losing my father. My guilt manifests as I remember the horrified look on his face. I clench my fists as I hear his words of disapproval in my head. Despite everything, he is still my father. 

Red comes into the clearing and sees me crying. She runs to me and wraps her arms around me. I bury my face into the armor as the tears roll down my face. “It’s okay,” Red says soothingly, “It’s going to be okay.”

I hug her tightly, knowing that I made the right choice. My father wants me to do what’s best for the kingdom, but I need to do what’s best for my heart. I pull out of her embrace so that I can kiss her lips.

She pulls me over to the big rock and I sit down on the surface. It takes a great deal of effort for Red to sit down next to me with the clunky armor. I can’t deny that she looks great in the armor and it causes me to have thoughts that my father would label as impure. I hope she keeps it for us to use later, but I don’t voice these thoughts.

“What happened with your father?” Red asks as I watch the ripples of water on the lake.

I turn to her. “I had to make a choice between you and him.”

She looks at me sympathetically, “I’m sorry. I would have understood if you chose him.”

“I know,” I say, “But it wasn’t a question.”

Red smiles at me, “I’m glad you chose me. I’m sorry you lost your father though. I’m sorry he doesn’t approve of me.”

“He’s stubborn that way,” I reply, “It’s nearly impossible to change his mind.”

We sit in silence for a few moments before Red asks, “What about your mother?”

“What about her?”

“Would she have approved of me?”

I think about my mother. She was the person who introduced me to books and taught me to always try and see the best in people. After careful consideration, I reply, “My mother would probably be surprised, but I think she would learn to love you.” 

Red smiles widely and strokes my hair. “I’ve never met my father, so I don’t know what he would think. I only knew my mother for about two days, but she would have approved of you because you were my mate.”

“I figured,” I say, “from what you’ve told me about her.” I sometimes wonder what it would be like to meet her. I know Red wasn’t too fond of her, but she helped her learn to control the wolf. “At least Granny approves of us,” I say. Red smiles and I smile back knowing that Granny’s approval is more important to her than anyone else’s.

A thought crosses my mind and I turn to Red, “You know that our marriage won’t be valid unless the fairies bless it.”

“Snow has agreed to summon the fairies here, if you accepted my proposal, so that we can try and convince them to change their mind.”

I nod, “Good.” Even though our mate bond has been sealed, I still want a traditional wedding. I’ve dreamed of my wedding since I was a little girl, and I’m excited that it will now become a reality. I can’t help but smile at the excitement of marrying the person I love and the feeling cements that I made the right choice. I just hope that my father and the kingdom will be all right without me.

 

Red POV:

I can’t help but grin at the sparkling ring resting on Belle’s finger. Granny was right, it does look better on her than collecting dust. Over the course of the evening, I catch her admiring it a few times. We catch each other’s eyes soon after and I can feel her excitement through our bond. My excitement matches hers, but I grow more nervous as the evening wears on. 

I have limited experience with the fairies but I know that the Blue Fairy is strict about her values. I’m pretty sure she won’t approve of our marriage, but I don’t care what she thinks. I intend to marry Belle with or without the fairies’ approval, but I hope Belle feels the same way.

Belle and I say good night and crawl into bed. I find myself tossing and turning and I hear her doing the same on her side of the bed. “Are you alright?” I roll over to face her.

“I’m nervous,” Belle admits.

I nod in agreement, “Me too.” I reach for her hand and clasp it. “We’ll be right by each other’s side and that’ll make things easier.”

She bites her lip, “True.” 

“Good night,” I kiss her lips and I feel myself calm down at the familiarity of her soft lips against my own. I roll over to my side of the bed and I hear her say good night back as I close my eyes. An uneasy sleep comes soon enough.

Morning comes and I roll out of bed. Belle and I say good morning to each other, but not much else, as we get ready for the day. My nerves are growing as we sit down for breakfast. I manage to get some toast down, but I’ve found that I’ve lost my appetite.

Snow waits for us outside the kitchen and we step outside the castle. I feel Belle’s nervousness and I squeeze her hand while trying to mask my own uneasiness. After we all take a deep breath, Snow summons the Blue Fairy and she appears. She is small, but still imposing. She looks between the three of us and says to Snow, “What is this about?”

Belle steps forward, “Miss Blue…” The Blue Fairy turns to look at her. “I would like to request the fairies’ blessing for my marriage.”

The Blue Fairy shows no emotion and says, “To the Dark One? Where is he? I haven’t seen him for a while.” I tense at the mention of Rumplestiltskin.

Shaking her head, Belle corrects her. “I’m not marrying Rumplestiltskin.”

Blue’s eyes widen, “But he’s your true love.”

“I have fallen in love with someone else.” I feel myself relax at her words. How she feels about me wasn’t in doubt, but it is a relief to hear her say it out loud.

“Very well, where is he?”

I step forward and stand next to Belle. Blue looks at us and scowls. “She’s a girl.”

“Woman,” I correct her. Realizing that it is my turn to speak, I say, “Belle is my mate and we have sealed the unbreakable bond. We ask that we be legally married in the eyes of the fairies as well.”

Before Blue can reply, another pink fairy flies down. Blue glares at the younger fairy, “Not now, Nova.”

Nova pouts and I see Belle’s eyes light up with recognition of the name. The name sounds familiar to me as well, but I can’t seem to place it.

Blue turns back to us, “Why should I grant your wish? Marriage is between a man and a woman. It has been that way since the beginning of time.”

“We’re in love,” Belle argues, “Isn’t love something to be celebrated no matter what form it takes?” My heart flutters at her defense of our love.

“I might make an exception for true love,” Blue says curtly to Belle, “But you have a true love already.”

Taking a deep breath, I say, “A wise person once told me that even true love cowers in front of the power of the heart’s choice.” Snow smiles at me, proud that I remember our conversation from all of those months ago.

Nova looks between the two of us and smiles. Blue, however, isn’t as impressed. “Even so, I must deny your request. That is all I can say on the matter.” She turns to fly away and calls out, “Come, Nova.”

However, Nova is rooted to the spot. “No,” she says causing Blue to glare at her. 

“No?” Blue looks like she’s going the stick lodged in her ass is giving her great pain. I look between the two of them, watching carefully.

“All of my life,” Nova began, “I’ve dreamed about becoming a fairy godmother to help people.” As she speaks, she gains her resolve. “These people have asked a reasonable request and we’re going to refuse to help them?”

Blue smiles a twisted smile, “That’s the way it is.”

“Then I want no part of this!” Nova exclaims. She is shaking with fear, but she refuses to take her gaze off of Blue.

Blue considers this for a moment. “Very well.” She turns to Nova. “I no longer believe in you.”

Nova gasps as her wings evaporate into thin air. She falls to the ground and Belle rushes to her. She catches her and breaks her fall. I glare at Blue who merely flies away. I walk over to Belle and Nova. “Thank you for defending us,” I say. I’m touched by her act of defiance and I can tell Belle is too.

The former fairy wipes her tear-stained eyes, “It was the right thing to do.” 

“What’s going on?” Grumpy’s voice comes from the castle entrance. He gasps as he comes outside, “Nova?”

Nova turns to face him, her grin lights up her face. “Dreamy.”

Grumpy is too happy to correct her as he runs towards her. They embrace and I realize where I had heard the name Nova before. Belle mentioned Grumpy’s heartbreak to me before. She had met him years ago in a dwarf tavern and had given him advice on his love for a fairy. They look so happy to see each other, and I have no doubt that Blue had a hand in keeping them apart.

Snow clears her throat, “Grumpy, please show Nova where she will be staying.”

“I can stay?” Nova asks.

She nods, “You’re always welcome here.”

Nova rushes forward and hugs Snow. “Thank you.”

Grumpy leads Nova inside. They presumably have a lot to catch up on. Snow turns to Belle and me. “I’m sorry that things didn’t work out.”

“It’s okay,” Belle replies. She looks at me before saying, “I don’t care what she says, and I intend to marry the woman I love, with or without their blessing.” My heart pounds in my chest, as I’m overjoyed at her declaration. I feel her joy radiate through our bond, and I feel confident that everything will be all right.

Snow smiles, “I’m glad to hear it. We’ll have a wedding in the castle, and we’ll find someone to perform the ceremony.”

I clasp her hand and I can’t contain my joy. I kiss her as we go our separate ways. My smile stays glued to my face for the rest of the day as I start daydreaming about our future wedding. We don’t see each other much throughout the day, but I feel her joy through our bond.

We get back to our room later that evening and I shut the door behind us. Our lips crash together and my hands fall to her hips. She eagerly kisses me back as her arms wrap me into her warm embrace.

"Thank you," I say, "for choosing me." I know that the decision isn't easy for her, but I'm thrilled that she still wants to marry me despite most of the world objecting.

"It wasn't a choice," she reiterates as she did the day before. My heart sings with joy and I can't believe my luck. 

Instead of responding, I resume kissing her. My hands reach for the back of her dress. Before I can undo the clasp, she stops me. Her face is flush with embarrassment as she asks, "Do you still have David's armor?"

"Yes," I answer despite my confusion.

She smiles, "Put it on. I want you to make love to me with it on."

I shudder at the idea of having to wear that constricting, heavy suit of armor again. However, Belle looks at me with puppy dog eyes that I am unable to refuse. I peck her lips and say, "I'll be right back."

I dash back to my old room where the suit of armor is lying on the bed. I hadn't had the chance to return it to David yet. Carefully, I slip the armor on, much more efficiently than I did yesterday. I leave the helmet and the gloves on the bed, knowing that I won't need them.

Back in our room, I find Belle sitting on the bed. I feel her eyes rake over my body as I shut the door behind me. The lustful look in her eyes makes me wet inside the hot armor.

"Brave knight," Belle says seductively, "Thank you for your heroic rescue." I now understand why she wanted me to put on the suit, and I am turned on by the roleplay.

I clear my throat and do my best to get into character. I bow before saying, "It is a pleasure, fair maiden."

She smirks at my choice of words. "It would be a pleasure to repay you for your rescue."

She beckons me to the bed and I eagerly walk towards her. Standing up she runs her hands over the metal on my chest. I can smell her arousal and I know that she can smell mine by the smirk she gives me. I reach behind her back and undo the clasp of her dress. It falls to the ground with a little maneuvering and I let out a small moan when I see that she's wearing nothing underneath.

Our hands roam over each other's bodies as our lips meet again. I reach for her legs and I pick her up and carry her to our bed.

She wraps her legs around my armor-clad waist and my hands go to her breasts and play with her hardened nipples, causing her to moan loudly. I feel the weight of the armor around my body, and I move so that I don’t crush her under the metal. I smell her wetness dripping down her legs and I can't resist tasting her.

Stopping my ministrations on her breasts. I carefully maneuver down her body until I'm face to face with her pussy. Diving face first into her folds, I lap up the wetness that I have quickly become addicted to. Her legs wrap around my head and I hear her moans increase in volume and intensity.

My tongue brushes against her erect clit and she moans out, "Fuck, Rose!" There is something undeniably sexy about her using my real name while in the throes of passion.

Wrapping my lips around her clit, I suck on it like my life depends on it. Her loud moans spur me on as I flick the head with my tongue. I spell out the words 'I love you' with my tongue and she moans above me.

I can feel her getting close and I look up and meet her eyes. The way her chest heaves as she pants and the tight grip on the bed sheets makes the armor feel uncomfortably hot and tight on my increasingly aroused body. The sight of me between her legs seems to have an effect on her and her orgasm hits her after a couple more flicks of her tongue.

Eagerly, I lap up every drop of her as she screams my name above me. When she is done, she lays back on the bed with a satisfied sigh clean my face of her fluids.

She sits up and smiles down. "Thank you, valiant knight," she says, refusing to break character. "Now, allow me to take your armor off and return the favor."

"Please," I beg. As much as I love our little game, the armor is stuffy and uncomfortable. I don't know how real knights walk around in this, let alone fight in battle.

Thankfully, Belle seems to understand and whispers, "Thank you." She carefully pulls pieces of the armor off with my assistance. The cool air feels refreshing as it hits my flushed body.

As soon as my armor is resting in pieces on the floor, I strip off my clothes until I am completely bare. Belle's eyes rake over my body and I kiss her. 

We climb back into bed and Belle climbs on top of me. Her hand travels down to my throbbing clit while her mouth moves to my neck and begins to suck on my pulse point. Her lips feel warm against my tingling skin and I move my head slightly to expose my neck to her. Her one hand strokes my clit and I moan my approval. I thread my fingers through her hair as I moan at Belle's touch.

Without warning, she thrusts three fingers inside and I scream in absolute pleasure. She stops kissing my neck to smile at me and kiss my lips. She starts thrusting her fingers and resumes kissing my neck.

I can barely get any words out as my orgasm builds. My hands run over her back and I thrust in time with her fingers. She hits my spot and I feel myself getting close.

A couple more thrusts and I come undone. Her lips leave my neck and attack my lips as I scream her name. As I come down from my high, we look into each other's eyes.

“That was hot,” I admit as we lay together, still panting.

She nods, “It was. Let’s do it again some time.” I look down at the discarded pieces of armor around our bed and not in agreement. I know I’ll have to apologize to David, but he’s never getting that suit of armor back.

We profess our love for each other as we lay together in the aftermath. "I can't wait to marry you," I say as I feel myself drift off to sleep after a long day. Her own declaration and a kiss to my forehead is the last thing I remember before we fall asleep in each other's arms.


	13. Chapter 13

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> There is a trigger warning on this chapter for minor character death. Thanks to everyone for their continued support of this story and to my beta for all of her help.

Red POV:

As I look at my white dress in the mirror, deep breaths are all I can manage. I’ve waited for this day for a while, but I feel nauseous. Even though I am excited for my wedding, I am terrified to walk down that aisle with everybody watching us. Even more so, I feel Belle’s nerves through our bond, which makes me even more petrified.

“Relax,” Snow reassures me as she watches me from the side, “Everything’s going to be okay.”

I start breathing heavier to the point of hyperventilation, as my nerves and Belle’s are getting worse. I try to slow my breathing, but it doesn’t work. Granny stands up from her chair and walks over to me. She puts her hands on my shoulders and tells me to calm down. “Everything’s going to be fine.”

Taking several deep breaths, my heartbeat steadies. “I hope so,” I say as I put on the last of my makeup. I feel Belle’s nerves calm down slightly, and I feel relieved.

“Spin,” Snow commands and I comply. Snow gasps as I twirl around in my wedding dress.

“You look beautiful,” Granny affirms from her seat. I thank her and take a deep breath. I reach for the piece of paper containing my vows and place it carefully in my dress. 

Granny walks over to me. “I’m proud of you, Red.”

I smile and embrace her, “Thank you.” After I pull away from her, I walk down to the ballroom. The dwarves have outdone themselves in their decorations. The room looks stunning, with flowers, mostly roses spread all over the room. A white canopy sits at the edge of the room with several rows of chairs facing towards it. David stands under it and I give him a smile as I walk over to him. The dwarves sans Grumpy are already seated with Nova, Jiminy Cricket, Geppetto, and Pinocchio. I wave to them as I walk up to the canopy.

David looks nervous as I step up to him. “Thanks for doing this,” I whisper to him. This is his first time officiating a wedding. He is the only person willing to do it, as several others refused to take part in the wedding. 

He smiles, “No problem, Red.” Snow and Granny file in behind me and take their seats in the front row. Grumpy comes in a couple minutes later and sits next to Nova. Soon the organ starts and everyone stands up. I turn around and I nearly stop breathing as I catch sight of Belle. She looks like an angel in an enchanting white dress that reaches to the floor. Her hair is done up and her smile leaves me breathless.

She reaches the canopy and I take her hand. We face each other and I whisper to her, “You’re breathtaking.”

A blush rises to her cheeks and she whispers back, “As are you.”

David waits for everyone to sit down before beginning. He clears his throat before beginning his speech. “We are gathered here today to bind two souls in matrimony. They are bound in many ways already, but marriage is the ultimate bond. Red… I mean Rose and Belle met in this castle and their love has grown so much in almost a year. Some would even say that their love is to die for.” 

I see Belle’s discomfort and glare at David, who is trying not to laugh at his own joke. He sees my look and clears his throat again. “Anyway, we are here today to celebrate their love. Though some have contested this, we here in this kingdom believe that Red and Belle’s love is legitimate and that love is love no matter what form it takes.”

He looks between the two of us and we smile at him. “Both of them have written their own vows for the occasion.” 

He looks expectantly at Belle and she looks at me. I can feel her nerves, as well as everyone’s eyes on us, and I squeeze her hand in encouragement. She looks at me and begins to speak, without the help of a piece of paper. “Rose,” she begins before pausing. “Before I met you, my life felt like an ever-changing series of prisons. Everyone saw me as what they wanted me to be, not who I truly was.” I feel a bit of pain at that.

Her eyes don’t leave mine as she continues, “When I met you, I felt free to be myself for the first time. It took me some time, but I’m in love with every part of you, even the parts that scare others.” My heart swells at her admission and tears start to form in my eyes. She smiles at me, and I have to restrain myself from kissing her right there. “You once told me when I lost hope that life was a series of books and that my story was just beginning. Every day has been an adventure with you, and I look forward to starting the next chapter of our story together.”

I wipe a couple of tears from my eyes as I look at her with adoration. I squeeze her hand a little tighter and she squeezes back as the grins at me, her eyes filled with love. I hear sniffling from the audience and I see Snow crying. Nova is crying a couple rows behind her, and Grumpy has a comforting hand on her back.

“That was beautiful, Belle.” David says, and I focus my attention back on Belle. “Now we’ll hear from Rose.”

My hands tremble as I pull the piece of paper out of my dress. I unfold it and glance at Belle before beginning to read. “I never thought that I would love again, or that I would deserve too for much of my life. I never thought that ‘happily ever after’ was meant for me.” I look at her and see that she is crying as I speak. “You came into this castle and turned my entire world upside down. You started to change me from the moment we met. You believed in me when I couldn’t believe in myself. You embraced both the human and wolf parts of me, and love both parts. You give me strength, and make me want to be a better person. I’m in love with you, and I promise to love you and be by your side for the rest of our lives.” She smiles at me through her tears and once again I have to restrain myself from kissing her.

As I fold the paper, I glance out at the audience. I see that Nova and Snow are still crying. To my surprise, I see that Granny is crying as well. She gives me a look that indicates that she is proud of me, and I smile at her before turning back to Belle.

“By the power of this kingdom,” David says, looking between the two of us. “I pronounce you legally married…” Before he can finish his sentence, I step forward and wrap my arms around Belle. Our lips find each other, and it is as magical as our first kiss. Her lips feel so right against mine, and nothing can destroy my happiness as everyone cheers around us. I feel her love coursing through me, and I know she can feel mine.

My hand finds hers and we walk over to other room where a feast waits for us. We take our seats at a long table at the end of the room and our guests sit at the smaller tables. When everyone is seated, the servants bring out the food and the room is buzzing with small talk as everyone enjoys their dinner.

After dessert has been served, Snow stands up and everyone hushes as they look at her. “Thank you all for coming tonight,” Snow says, “Before we continue with the evening, I’d like to say a few words.”

“I’ve known Red since we were teenagers. In fact, I was with her the night that she learned that she was the wolf.” I frown at the memory, but keep my eyes on Snow. “We’ve been through a lot together, and I admire her kindness and her bravery. Most of all, I admire her loyalty. I was so happy when Belle joined us, because I was hopeful that Red would finally get her own well-deserved happy ending.” I look over at Belle and see that she is smiling at me. “I’ve watched you too fall in love over the past few months and I have no doubt that you are perfect for each other. May your lives together be filled with much joy and many adventures.” Snow and I smile at each other before I turn to look at Belle. 

I kiss Belle’s lips before leading her out to the ballroom floor. The band starts to play a familiar tune, the one they played for our first dance together. We position ourselves and waltz on the dance floor. I have tuned everyone else out and can only see Belle in front of me. The dancing has gotten easier since the last time, as it comes more naturally to me. I have been practicing for the past couple of weeks in preparation for this.

When the music stops I let go of her hands and bow to her. For the first time I notice that we are not alone on the dance floor. Many couples have joined us on the dance floor. I see Snow and Charming to the left and, to my horror, Granny and Geppetto to the right. I bow before Belle, “Thank you for dancing with me.”

“My pleasure,” she smiles. Not caring that everyone is watching us, I kiss her once again. She puts her arms around my neck as I revel in the familiar feel of her soft lips on mine. All I can think about is how overjoyed I am to finally be married to my mate in more ways than one.

 

Belle POV:

The wedding is better than I ever imagined as a little girl. Rose’s vows to me are beautiful, and the look of love in her eyes is even more so. We spend the evening celebrating with our friends and family, at least the ones willing to attend. The enchanting evening is fun, but I feel myself start to get restless as it goes on. After many drinks and dances, all I want is to be alone with my wife. All I can think about is our bodies intertwined as we make love to each other on our wedding night. I can tell that Red feels the same way, but neither of us want to be rude to our guests.

“Congratulations,” Grumpy says as he approaches me.

I turn around to face him. “Thank you.”

He raises his wine glass and says, “To no longer broken hearts.” He takes a sip from his wine glass to emphasize his toast.

“To no longer broken hearts,” I say in agreement, drinking from the glass in my hand. “Does this mean that you and Nova have worked things out?”

He nods excitedly, “We’ll be leaving to travel the world not long after you and Red leave for your honeymoon.”

I squeal with excitement and embrace Grumpy, making sure not to spill my wine. “That’s so exciting! I’m so happy that you and Nova get to be together.” I pull away from him and a thought crosses my mind, “Are you still Grumpy?”

“No, I’m ecstatic,” Grumpy jokes, laughing heartily. “Yeah, I’m still Grumpy. It’s been too long to rebrand now.”

I nod in agreement, “You’re right.” I glance over at the room at Red, who is chatting with Snow and Charming. She looks back and catches my eye. As we smile at each other, my desire to leave the party and start our wedding night increases.

“You alright?” Grumpy breaks my fantasies with a look of concern. “Are you enjoying the party?”

“Of course I am,” I reassure him quickly, “Everything is lovely. It’s just that I haven’t had any alone time with Red all day and it’s our wedding night…” I trail off hoping I don’t have to finish that sentence.

He blushes in embarrassment, but nods in understanding. “Of course, I understand. Nobody will mind if you take off for the evening. I’ll make sure nobody goes looking for you.”

“Thank you,” I say, “For everything. You and the other dwarves did a great job with the wedding.” I take in the beautifully decorated hall and the sound of the band playing.

We say good night to each other and I go over to Red. I wrap my arms around her and breathe in her scent as she continues to talk to Snow and Charming. Standing on the tops of my toes, I whisper into her ear, “Do you want to get out of here?”

She turns around, a wolfish grin on her face. “Definitely.” She turns back to Snow and Charming. “I think Belle and I are going to turn in for the night. Thank you for everything.”

Snow gives us a knowing smile, “Of course. It’s no problem at all. Enjoy the rest of your evening.”

Red quickly runs off to say good night to Granny before she returns to my side. We walk through the darkened hallways. It is after a couple of steps that I realize that Red is not next to me. “Are you lost?” I hear her voice behind me.

I experience déjà vu as I turn around and see Red standing in the shadows. Though I was unable to see her in the darkened hallway when we first met, I can see her clearly now. My wolf eyes can clearly see her as she smiles at me from the shadows. Still I play along and I say, “Step into the light.”

She complies and pounces on my lips. I eagerly kiss her back and I feel my restlessness growing. “Do you know how much I wanted to do this when we first met?” Red growls out as she kisses me hungrily.

I can’t help but moan at the husky quality her voice has taken on. I feel a gush of wetness at my core. “I do now,” I reply.

My back hits the cold stone wall and I regain awareness of our surroundings. “Bed,” I moan out, “Take me to bed.” I wouldn’t have any reservations of fucking here normally, Red and I have done it here once or twice during our wolfstime sex marathons. However, it is our wedding night and I want to make love to her in the comfort of our bed.

Red nods before picking me up in her arms. She holds me bridal style and carries me to our room. Before we go more than a couple of steps, I hear a disturbance come from down the hallway. Red nearly drops me in surprise, but her quick reflexes help steady her grip.

I whip around and to my horror see my father’s most trusted advisor walking towards us. I feel a flash of anger, as I should have known that my father would try to stop our wedding. “You’re too late Cogsworth,” I narrow my eyes, “The wedding has already happened.”

Red stands protectively next to me, her eyes narrowed at the man. Grumpy runs down the hallway, panting heavily. “I’m sorry Belle, he says, “I tried to stop him.”

Cogsworth clears his throat, “I’m not here to stop the wedding, Belle.” Before I can ask what he is doing here, he explains, “It’s your father Belle. He’s passed away.”

I gasp and I feel my heart clench. I feel Red put a comforting hand on my back. “What are you talking about?” I ask in disbelief.

“His heart gave out not long after we returned home,” Cogsworth explains. I nod in understanding, knowing that Cogsworth isn’t one to joke around. I feel a mixture of emotions as tears spring to my eyes. Though we our relationship was destroyed, I am still full of sorrow at his passing. I feel a wave of guilt as well. Had it been our fight that had condemned him to death?

It takes a few moments before I realize that Cogsworth is trying to get my attention. “We’d like you to come home, Belle. Your father’s funeral will be in a couple of days.”

I feel Red’s embrace and I nod. “We’ll be there,” I say. Though I’d rather go on our honeymoon, a month’s retreat at Snow’s vacation home, my father’s funeral is more important. I can tell that Red is not happy about this development, but I know that she understands.

“The carriage will leave tomorrow morning,” Cogsworth says looking between us. “I’ll leave you to your reflections.” He turns around and walks down the hall. Grumpy gives me a hug and his condolences before leaving Red and me alone.

We reach our bedchambers and I begin to sob. Red wraps her arms around me and I relax into her embrace. “I’m so sorry,” she says as my tears stain her wedding dress.

“I can’t believe he’s gone,” I confess. A few moments go by and Red let me cry into her shoulder. I slowly pull away and look up at her with my tear stained eyes. Along with the grief I feel, I feel bad that my father’s death has ruined our wedding night. “I’m so sorry.”

Red looks confused. “For what?”

“For ruining our wedding night.” I take a deep breath, “We’re supposed to be celebrating, and I’ve lost all interest in intimacy.”

She pulls away from me, and gives me an encouraging smile. “You didn’t ruin anything. We don’t have to do anything tonight. We have the rest of our lives together.”

I can’t help but smile at her declaration. I peck her lips. “Will you lay with me tonight?”

“Of course,” Red says, “But I’d like to get out of this wedding dress first.”

I nod in agreement. Though our dresses are beautiful, they are not the most comfortable. We unzip each other until we are in nothing but our undergarments. After pulling off my corset, I lead her to the bed. We climb under the covers and she wraps her arms around me. I snuggle into her warmth and I feel calmer in her embrace.

“Tell me about him,” she says. “It can’t have been all bad memories with him.”

I wrack my brain for a good memory of my father, a memory that doesn’t end with me angry or in tears. I suddenly recall a memory from my childhood, long before our relationship started to strain. “My father liked to tinker with things in his spare time,” I tell her. “He had a room in his throne room for little inventions he would work on. When I was a little girl he would sometimes let me watch. He wouldn’t let me touch anything, but he would answer all of my questions. He always said that my curiosity was a good quality of a leader.” I smile fondly at the memory. 

“It wasn’t until I grew up that he became about suitors and imprisonment.” My face falls at that. I tense up and I remember the last time I saw him. I remember the disgusted look in his eyes as I told him my intention to marry Red and the look of revulsion as he realized that I had become a beast. I remember how he disowned me on the spot, and how much I hated him. Still, I wonder if his broken heart had killed him.

Red seems to know what I’m thinking and she says quickly, “It’s not your fault.” She wraps her arms tighter around me and I relax slightly.

“I love you,” I say as she places soft gentle kisses on my neck, “Thank you for being so understanding.”

“Of course,” she says, “I love you, too. I always will.” 

I turn to face her and kiss her lips gently. “After we lay him to rest, we’ll be able to start the rest of our lives together.” The thought of our honeymoon is the only thing that will get me through the funeral.

Red strokes me cheek and grins, “I can’t wait.” Though I toss and turn for much of the night, Red’s presence is comfort makes the night bearable. She wipes my tears as I cry over my father and I feel her love pulsing through me. I’m confident that I can get through this with her by my side.


	14. Chapter 14

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I apologize for the extremely long wait for this chapter. Thank you all for being so patient and I hope that it's worth the wait. As always, thanks to my beta for her help with this story.

Belle POV:

Morning comes and I untangle myself from Red. We get dressed and head down to the kitchen for breakfast and goodbyes. Snow hugs both of us and expresses her condolences to me. All I can do is nod, still feeling emotionally numb about my father’s death. After I hug Charming, Granny, and the dwarves, Cogsworth asks to speak to me in private.

As we step outside, he clears his throat. “Belle,” he begins, “Before your father died, he was ranting and raving about a beast.” I tense as I remember my last meeting with my father, where I revealed my wolfish nature to him. “If this kingdom is being attacked by a monster, we can extend our resources to take care of it.”

“That won’t be necessary,” I say quickly. It appears that my quick reaction alerts his suspicions. I quickly add, “There are beasts in this kingdom, but they are not threats.” I have to stop myself from saying ‘we.’

Cogsworth continues to look at me in a way that makes me slightly uncomfortable. “I see. In that case, we will close off a section of the castle for you and your wife to run during wolfstime.”

I gape at him, wondering how he could have possibly figured the truth out from my words. He smiles at my confused expression. “Everyone thought your father was a lunatic, but I believed him when he told me what happened to his daughter.”

“And you accept it?” I ask, shocked at how nonchalant he was about the whole thing.

He nods. “Your father was a dear friend of mine, but we didn’t always see eye to eye. I don’t see eye to eye with the most of the kingdom. Your marriage and wolf nature isn’t a problem for me, your majesty.”

I pause as the new title washes over me. The title was previously reserved for my father and my mother when they were still alive. I realize in that moment that the role of Queen is now mine if I choose to take it. However, I know Red won’t want to be Queen, and I don’t know if I can impose that responsibility on her.

Cogsworth seems to know what I’m thinking and says, “We won’t hold the coronation until after the funeral.” I nod and we go back into the kitchen. Red smiles as I enter and I find my way back to her side. I grab her hand as we say our final goodbyes and head towards the carriage parked outside the castle.

“What did Cogsworth want?” Red asks as she sits across from me in the carriage.

I hesitate as I wonder how to break the news to her. Deciding that I can wait until I made my decision, I tell her about how Cogsworth knows about our wolfish nature. Red relaxes as I tell her that he was fine with the idea.

Changing the subject, I tell her about the castle and my childhood memories as the carriage drives us toward my kingdom. When night falls, Cogsworth pulls over and we stay in an inn for the evening. The next morning, we continue our journey through the woods outside the village.

As we drive through the village, I take in the familiar sights of the provincial town. A baker passes by the carriage with his tray of bread like always. I spot the bookstore that Cogsworth would escort me to when my father permitted me to leave the castle. As we drive deeper into the village, I notice that the villagers stop at the sight of the carriage and bow for it.

“Why are they bowing?” Red asks, looking slightly uncomfortable by the attention.

Cogsworth looks at me. “They see Belle as a hero after her sacrifice to protect them from the ogres.” I know he is referring to my decision to leave with Rumplestiltskin, not there was much of a choice in the matter. The Dark One had already decided on me as a price and it was either my father or I. I remembering making him promise to not allow any harm to come to anyone in the village and how he broke that promise with Gaston’s death.

Red looks at the people bowing and back at me. “She is a hero in more ways than one.” I feel my face flush at the compliment and Red smiles at me. I look back at the people bowing to me, and I realize that they are looking to me to lead them. They expect me to be their Queen and I don’t know how I can leave them when they need me the most.

We arrive at the castle and several servants, including Fifi, come out to greet the carriage. Cogsworth steps out before us and announces, “Princess Belle and her wife Rose.”

I see Fifi gaping at Red when we step out of the carriage. Though I am confused at first, I remember that I never corrected her assumption that Red was a man. “Wife?” She asks, looking at me like I had played an elaborate prank on her.

Smiling, I take Red’s hand and say, “Wife.” I can’t deny how good it feels to have Red referred to as my wife, despite the fact that the fairies refused to bless our union and we haven’t officially consummated our marriage yet.

We walk into the castle and I lead Red to my bedroom. She looks around the room with curious interest. “This is where I grew up,” I tell her. I notice the shards of the mirror lying on the dresser, and I remember how I had dropped it after seeing Red in pain.

She smiles as she sits on my childhood bed, which is big enough for the both of us. “Fit for a princess.”

Evening falls and both of us are exhausted. We wake up early the next morning for the funeral. My father’s coffin sits in the courtyard and the palace and several villagers place flowers on top to pay their respects to their king. 

Once everyone has taken their seats, they turn to me to make a speech. Red squeezes my hand in encouragement and I stand up. Clearing my throat, I being my speech. “Thank you all for coming,” I say, “My father would have been so glad to see you all here. He loved this kingdom and its subjects.” I firmly believe that he loved his subjects more than me, but I wasn’t going to talk about our increasingly tense relationship up until his death. 

“My father was a good king, intelligent and wise.” I look towards the mourners who are wiping tears from their eyes as they look up at me. Taking a deep breath, I know that I can’t abandon them and leave the kingdom in someone else’s hands. I was raised to rule, and that is what I would have to do. “This kingdom flourished under his rule, and I hope that I can be as good a Queen as he was a King.”

I feel Red tense beside me as the mourners clap for my eulogy. She is not happy with my declaration, and I know that we have to talk about my decision tonight. The funeral ends after a couple of more speeches and the servants prepare a feast for the occasion. Red barely looks at me as I make conversation with the other royals of the kingdom. When I look over at her, I can see that she is frowning. I’m worried that I upset her and I am nervous about the conversation that I can no longer avoid.

As soon as we are alone, Red turns to me. “We’re staying?” Her expression is a mixture of anger and confusion. “What about our honeymoon? Our plans together?”

“I’m sorry,” I say, taking a deep breath. “I have to stay. I have an obligation to my people.” Red is still frowning, and I feel bad for having to delay our honeymoon. In an ideal world, we would be relaxing in each other’s arms in the suite of Snow’s vacation castle instead of having this discussion. I move closer to her and put my hand on her shoulder. “We’ll still have our honeymoon. There’s a private vacation castle that my family uses. We just have to delay it for a couple of months.”

Red’s eyes flash with anger as she pulls away from me. “When were you going to tell me?” I feel terrible about springing this on her, but I know that I have no other choice.

“I’m sorry,” I say, “Everything happened so fast.” 

She tenses and says, “You could have talked to me about it in the carriage on the way here.” 

Nodding in agreement, I say, “You’re right.” I knew that she probably could sense my dilemma over the past couple of days. “I should have talked to you about it sooner.”

Her frown remains, and I reach for her hand. “I need you here. I can’t do this without you.” She looks away from me as she pulls her hand away. “You married a princess,” I remind her, “You knew this was a possibility.”

She looks back at me, tears forming in her eyes. “I just want to be with you,” she says, “I’m in love with you.” My heart swells, never getting tired of her declarations of love. “But I need time to process this. I want to go home.”

I nod, though I’m hurt that she doesn’t want to stay here with me. I reach for the rings on my hand and she cries. I can tell that she believes that I’m taking my wedding ring off. Instead, I take off my teleporting ring and place it in her hand. “When you’re ready to be with me again,” I say, “Come back to me.”

She looks relieved, but she is still crying. “Goodbye Belle,” she says as she twists the ring three times on her finger and vanishes before my eyes. I fall on the bed and sob as the pain of her being gone envelops my entire body.

 

Red POV:

I double over in pain as I hit the ground of the castle kitchen. I thought I was in hell the last time I was separated from Belle, before we had sealed our bond. However, this seems to be so much worse. Granny comes over to me and I can tell that she is stunned by my sudden reappearance.

“What happened, Red?” She asks as she sees how much pain I’m in. “Where’s Belle?”

Grimacing, I look up at her and tell her about our fight. Her face morphs from concern to disappointment, and I feel even worse. “You left her there to deal with all of this on her own?”

When she says it like that, I feel even worse. “I needed to process. I needed to be somewhere where I was comfortable.”

“And how do you think Belle feels?” Granny asks.

I shake my head. “She had more time to process it then me.”

Granny looks frustrated with me, but helps me off the ground. She doesn’t say anything for a couple of moments, but then says, “Well, at least it’s good to see you again.”

“You too,” I say before going up to my room. I fall into the bed that Belle and I were sharing just days ago. It still smells like her, and I breathe in her scent. The pain increases, but I endure it as a relish in Belle’s aura.

I barely sleep that night as I think about Belle and our fight. I remember the admiration that her people looked at her as we drove through the village and the way they reacted to her eulogy. Deep down, I know she is right and that I should have expected the possibility of her becoming Queen. I want to support her, but I don’t know if I can in the way she wants me to. I have no doubt in her ability to be a good leader to her people, but I have much doubt in my own. Despite being friends with Snow and David for many years, I don’t know the first thing about being Queen. Though Belle’s future subjects revere her, how would they ever approve of me as her wife and a wolf? Her father didn’t want me to marry his daughter. Will they feel the same way? Will they come after me with torches if they discover my identity? I shiver at the thought.

Morning comes and I get up, still fully dressed from the night before. The pain seems to have gotten worse since last night and I can feel that Belle is hurting as well. That hurts worse than my own pain, and a couple of tears fall from my eyes. I change into fresher clothes and go down to the kitchen for breakfast.

Snow embraces me as I come into the kitchen. “Red, it’s so good to see you.” Before I can respond, she punches me in the shoulder. “How could you leave Belle like that?” I see Charming looking at me strangely from the table while feeding Emma, and I have no doubt that Granny told both of them what happened.

Before I can defend myself, Snow smiles. “I’m glad you’re here, Red. The celebration wouldn’t be the same without you.” I look at her curiously and she glares back at me. “Don’t tell me you forgot what today is?”

I stand there trying to figure out what she’s talking about. After a few moments I remember that it is Emma’s first birthday. I had been so wrapped up in the wedding and the funeral and everything that came after it that I completely forgot about. “I’m sorry,” I say,” I’ve had a lot on my mind recently.”

“I understand.” Snow nods. “After the party, I want to talk more about this.”

All I can do is nod, knowing that I won’t be able to dodge the discussion forever. I try to distract myself by helping Granny and the dwarves set up for the party. During the afternoon, royals from all over arrive to celebrate Emma’s birthday. Emma looks adorable in a red dress, and has learned quite a few words since her first one.

I engage in conversation with Snow and some of the guests, but I find my mind wandering back to Belle. The pain coursing through my body worsens my ability to focus on the conversation. Unable to handle being in the stuffy room, I quickly excuse myself and run out of the castle to get some fresh air. 

I arrive in my clearing by the lake, where I proposed to Belle. Sitting down on the rock, I think of all of the memories Belle and I had in this spot. I hear someone approaching and I stiffen. When I catch the scent, I relax as I realize it is David.

“Are you all right,” he asks as sits on the rock next to me.

Shaking my head, I say, “No.” Tears flow down my cheeks as I ask, “How do you do it?”

He looks confused by the question. “I’m sorry?”

“You were a shepherd before all this,” I clarify, “How did you become comfortable with being King?”

David shrugs. “It’s not like I had a choice.” He pauses and explains, “King George forced me to take his son’s place and I never was comfortable with it.”

“That must have been rough,” I say.

He nods and says, “When I fell in love with Snow, I hated the idea of having to do it permanently. I almost begged Snow to leave it behind so that we didn’t have to worry about it.”

I nod, understanding exactly how he felt. “What made you change your mind?”

David smiles and says, “I love her with all of my heart. She had an obligation to her people and I promised that I would stay by her side no matter what.”

My mind flashes back to my wedding, when I had promised the same thing to Belle. I remember telling Granny before my first evening with Belle that I intended to keep my promises to her. I broke my promise to Belle and my heart breaks at the realization. Belle deserves the world and I let her down in the worst way.

I realize that David is right, and that I needed to support her no matter what. No matter how uncomfortable I am at the idea of ruling a kingdom, I can’t force Belle to deal with all of it alone. 

David is surprised when a stand up, with a new determination. “I need your help,” I say, “I need to apologize to Belle.”

“I’m not giving you another suit of armor,” he says, “You didn’t give the last one back.”

I laugh. I know I should give it back, but I can’t help that Belle finds it sexy. “I’m sorry about that, but I don’t need a suit of armor for this.” 

After I explain to him what I need, he says, “I can definitely do that.” We walk back to the castle to prepare what I need for the apology. I am determined to earn Belle’s trust back, and I know exactly how I’m going to do it.


End file.
